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"ROUND  THE  WORLD." 


LETTERS 


FROM 


JAPAN,  CHINA, 


INDIA,  AND  EGYPT 


Br  WM.  PERRY  FOGG. 


CLEVELAND,  OHIO, 

1872. 


PREFACE. 

This  volume  is  not  published  in  its  present  form  for  public  sale,  but  design  - 
ed  as  a  souvenir  to  personal  friends  who  have  expressed  a  desire  to  have  copies 
of  these  "  Letters  "  for  preservation  ;  and  I  have  endeavored  to  enhance  its 
value  by  sketches  and  photographs  of  scenery  and  costumes  in  the  countries 
through  which  I  passed.  The  "  letter  press,"  I  regret  to  say,  is  not  what  it 
should  be,  as  it  was  printed  before  my  return  from  the  forms  as  originally 
published  in  the  Daily  Leader,  and  abounds  in  errors  resulting  from  hasty 
proof-reading,  unavoidable  in  a  morning  paper.  The  annexed  Errata  will 
rectify  some  of  these  most  glaring  mistakes,  but  the  minor  errors  in  orthogra- 
phy and  punctuation  are  left  to  the  intelligence  of  the  reader  to  correct  for  him- 
self. 

I  was  not  ordered  abroad  "by  the  doctors,"  but  started  in  perfect  health, 
which  I  retained  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  climate,  and  was  so  fortunate  as 
not  to  meet  with  any  serious  mishap  to  mar  the  pleasure  of  the  journey.  Only 
once,  during  that  eventful  night  of  the  typhoon  on  the  Chinese  coast,  did  I 
question  my  prudence  in  being  there,  without  the  excuse  of  ill-health  or  busi- 
ness. My  motive  was  not  merely  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  but  the  desire  to 
gratify  a  long-cherished  passion  to  see  once  in  my  lifetime  the  strange  and 
carious  nations  of  the  Orient,  books  of  travel  among  whom  have  always  had 
for  me  a  strange  fascination. 

In  these  sketches  I  have  confined  my  descriptions,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
what  passed  under  my  own  observation  ;  and  have  endeavored  to  paint  the 
curious  and  novel  scenes  in  Japan,  China,  and  India,  as  they  appeared  to  a 
fresh  traveler,  without  any  attempt  at  fine  writing,  or  high-flown  description. 
The  unexpected  courtesy  and  kindness  everywhere  met  from  both  foreigners 
and  natives,  and  the  many  chance  acquaintances  which  have  ripened  into 
friendships  that  will  endure  for  a  lifetime,  are  among  the  pleasantest  souvenirs 
of  my  journey. 

This  first  volume  does  not  complete  the  circuit  "round  the  world."  Perhaps 
another  may  follow  giving  the  incidents  of  travel  from  Egypt  through  the 
Holy  Land,  over  the  Lebanon  to  Baalbec  and  Damascus,  to  Smyrna  and  the 
site  of  Ephesus,  to  Greece  and  Constantinople,  up  the  Black  Sea  and  the 
Danube,  through  Hungary  and  Austria,  Germany  and  France  to  England, 
thence  home  across  the  Atlantic.  A  portion  of  the  latter  series  of  letters  has 
been  published  over  the  signature  of  "Nebula"  in  the  Daily  Herald. 

With  this  explanation  of  the  anomalous  form  of  the  present  volume,  I  so- 
licit the  kindness  and  indulgence  of  the  reader  to  overlook  the  many  faults  and 
imperfections  of  these  hastily-written  sketches, 

W.  P.  F. 

Cleveland,  May,  1872. 


CONTENTS. 


NUMBER  ONE. 

Good-Bye  to  Cleveland;  The  Kansas  Pacific  Route ;  Buffalos,  Antel- 
opes, and  Prairie  Dogs ;  A  savory  Stew ;  Denver  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains;  Greeley;  Cheyenne  to  the  Summit;  Down  grade  to 
the  Salt  Lake  Valley;  The  City  of  Deseret;  Several  landladies  in 
One  Hotel ;  Visit  to  the  Theatre ;  The  Prophet's  Wives  and  Daugh- 
ters;  A  Mormon  audience 7 — 13 

NUMBER  TWO. 

The  Mormon  City  by  daylight ;  Its  location  and  surroundings  ;  The 
Tabernacle ;  A  Polygamist  in  theory,  but  not  in  practice  ;  The 
Mormon  Banker ;  Bishop  and  Colonel  Little  ;  Lo,  the  poor  Indian  ; 
Not  for  Joe  ;  No  outsiders  admitted  ;  The  Bishop's  benediction  ; 
Interview  with  Brigham  Young  ;  He  is  not  Posted  in  Politics  ;  But 
too  shrewd  to  be  caught  napping ;  Solution  of  the  Mormon  prob- 
lem      11— 20 

NUMBER  THREE. 

From  Ogden  over  the  Central  Pacific  :  Alkali  and  sage  brush  ;  The 
Sierra  Nevadas ;  Rounding  Cape  Horn  ;  Glimpse  at  the  Golden 
State  ;  San  Francisco  Approached  at  night ;  Aladdin's  Lamp  ; 
Hotels,  Stores,  and  Public  Buildings  ;  Churches  and  Schools  ;  Starr 
King  ;  The  Cliff  House  and  the  Lions ;  Lone  Mountain  Cemetery  ; 
Mission  Dolores  ;  The  Chinese  ;    Adieu 21 — 24 

NUMBER  FOUE. 

Pacific  Mail  Steamers  ;  Splendid  ships  ;  Creditable  to  America;  Chi- 
nese Passengers ;  How  John  Chinaman  eats ;  Chop-Sticks  lively 
and  useful  tools;  Smoking  Opium;  An  Invitation  declined  ;  The 
Opium  Trade;  England's  shame;  A  Day  lost;  Thrown  over- 
board; Our  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas  ahead;  Fusiyama  al- 
most in  Sight ;    The  first  glimpse  of  Asia 25 — 30 

NUMBER  FIVE. 

A  pleasant  Sunday  ;  The  Pacific  Gulf  Stream  and  what  came  of  it; 
A  Typhoon  ;  Frightful  scenes  on  ship;  Cyclones  ahead  of  Hat- 
teras ;  Peruvian  repentant ;  The  dangers  over ;  All's  Well  that 
ends  well ;  A  Bright  Morning  after  the  gale  ;  Good  resolutions 
forgotten;    A  Genuine  Thanksgiving 31—34 


NUMBER  SIX. 

Arrival  in  Japan  :  Bay  of  Yeddo ;  Junks  and  Fishing  Boats;  Har- 
bor of  Yokohama  ;  No  hacks,  but  fat  and  jolly  porters  ;  A  Good 
European  Hotel;  Situation  of  Yokohama;  A  former  American 
Consul  disgraces  his  country  ;  Bettos  or  Grooms  ;  Their  unique 
dress ;  Out  for  a  walk;  Japanese  Group;  How  they  are  dressed  ; 
A  Paradise  of  babies  ;  Married  "Women  sacrifice  their  beauty  ;  A 
pair  of  Moos-mies;  A  Jaconin  ;  Street  Performers;  Porters  and 
Coolies;    "Ohaio  and  Saionara" 35  —  41 

NUMBER  SEVEN. 

The  Shops,  and  how  customers  are  treated  ;  Very  sharp  at  a  bar- 
gain ;  The  Currency ;  Mexican  Silver  Dollars  the  standard  ; 
Pasteboard  money  drives  out  coin  :  A  Financial  smash  not  im- 
probable ;  Calculating  Machines  ;  Chinamen  in  Yokohama  ;  Sta- 
tistics of  trade  with  this  country  ;  Political  sketch  of  Japan  ;  The 
Mjkado  and  the  Tycoon;  A  Dual  Government;  The  late  Civil 
War ;  North  against  the  South  ;  A  great  mistake  ;  The  Mikado 
triumphs  and  the  Tycoon  is  deposed  ;  The  British  Minister  om- 
nipotent in  Foreign  Affairs;    Americans  can  take  a  back  seat 4'2  —  40 

NUMBER  EIGHT. 

An  Excursion  to  Duibutz  ;  Japanese  Horses ;  Country  roads  and 
shady  lanes ;  Hedges  unrivalled  in  the  world :  Everybody  in 
Japan  knows  "Ohaio  ;  "  Large  crops  with  rude  implements  ;  Two 
Trilogies,  One  poetical  and  one  true ;  Kamakura  and  its  Tem- 
ples :  Colossal  Statue  of  Buddha  ;  A  wonderful  work  of  art  ;  A 
Sacrilegious  Betto  :  A  Japanese  dinner  ;  The  Original  Grecian 
Bend  ;  The  ride  back  :  A  Funeral  procession  ;  A  Pleasant  ex- 
perience leaves  a  painful  impression 50 — 55 

NUMBER  NINE. 

The  Le  vder'.s  Correspondent  in  Luck ;  Interviewing  one  of  the  Royal 
Family  ;  No  show  for  a  high  private,  but  a  colonel  can  go  in  ; 
His  High  Mightiness  good  natured  and  affable  :  Inquiry  after 
Mr.  Emperor  President  Grant's  Health  ;  A  short  lesson  in  His- 
tory and  Geography;  Invited  to  Yeddo  :  The  Officers  curious  but 
very  courteous  ;  Homage  paid  to  Royalty  in  Europe  as  well  a* 
Asia;    Americans  Can't  See  It 56 — 60 

NUMBER  TEN. 

Exc  irsiorj  to  Yeddo;  A  Cosmopolitan  turnout;  The  Asiatic  has  no 
rights  the  African  is  bound  to  respect;  An  Undress  Uniform; 
Musicians  without  melody  ;  Blind  Beggars  ;  A  Siate  Carriage  ; 
Norimons  and  Cangos ;  A  Traveling  Dentist :  A  Fa-hionable  Tea 
Houpe;  Suggestion  to  Y'oung  Housekeepers:  Grimalkin  minus 
the  tail ;  Fancy  Pigs;  Cheap  and  primitive  clothing;  The  Un- 
fortunate Mr.  Richardson  :  A  Family  Moving;  Young  sprigs  of 
aristocracy;    Sinagawa  :    Inside  the  Capital  61 — 67 

NUMBER  ELEVEN. 

A  Spanish  Legend  ;  Wonderful  progress  in  three  years;  "Foreign 
Devils  "  now  treated  as  equals  ;  Curious  but  respectful  ;  The  Mi- 
kado's Castle  ;  A  Progressive  Ruler  and  People  ;  Residences  of  the 
Daimios;  Mount  Atango;  A  Beautiful  view;  A  Doubtful  Leg- 
end ;  Frequent  fires  and  no  insurance ;  Temples  of  Shiva ; 
Cleanliness  not  reverence  required  ;  Catholic  or  Buddhist;  Christ- 
ian or  Pagan  ;  An  Enormous  Bell ;  Stone  Lanterns  ;  Spirits  over 
the  water;  Pic-Nic  Grounds Oh' — 7o 


NUMBER  TWELVE. 

From  Yokohama  to  Hiogo  ;  The  Moon  Temple  ;  Osaca  the  Venice 
of  Japan ;  Manufacture  of  Paper  and  its  use ;  Paper  Handker- 
chiefs and  Pillow  Cases  ;  The  Inland  Sea  ;  Outlines  of  a  Picture  ; 
Simonasaki ;  The  Gateway  of  Rock  ;  Entrance  to  Nagasaki ;  An 
Episode  in  History  ;  Japanese  Junk ;  Decima  ;  Fine  Porcelain  ; 
Arts  and  Manufactures;  Departure  for  China  ;  "Sionara,"  Japan...     74  —80 

NUMBER  THIRTEEN. 

Approach  to  the  Flowery  Kingdom;  The  Yellow  Sea;  Yangsle 
River  ;  Shanghai ;  Fight  of  the  Coolies ;  The  Astor  House  ;  John 
Chinaman  at  Home  ;  Street  Sights  ;  The  Wheelbarrow  a  Chinese 
carriage ;  Nursery  Rhymes ;  Opium  Hulks  and  Custom  House 
Officials ;  Government  of  China ;  Squeeze  ;  How  Taxes  are  collect- 
ed; Competitive  Examinations ;  Qualifications  for  office  in  China 
and  America;   The  Taiping  Rebellion ;    General  Ward 81 — 87 

NUMBER  FOURTEEN. 

Odd  and  Curious  Sights  ;  A  Story  of  Paradoxes ;  Respect  for  parents  ; 
New  theory  of  Women's  Rights  ;  Visit  to  a  Chinese  Theatre  ;  Ex- 
cessive politeness  ;  Great  display  of  finger  ornaments  ;  A  Chinese 
Signorita ;  Serio-Comedy;  Laughable  and  absurd  performance; 
Fighters  stop  and  take  a  smile ;  Dead  men  walk  ;  Japs  ahead 
of  Chinese  in  the  Mimic  Art ;  Wedding  Procession  ;  Gentle  Elia's 
Roast  Pig  ;  Marriage  Ceremonies;  Jump  in  the  dark;  Not  mar- 
ried in  haste,  but  with  leisure  to  repent ;  Cupid  waits  for  Hy- 
men       88—94 

NUMBER  FIFTEEN. 

Departure  of  distinguished  guests  ;  Secretary  Seward  in  Japan  and 
China;  He  visits  Pekin  and  the  Great  Wall;  Prince  Kung  is 
grouty  ;  The  Senator  and  Sailor  exchange  salutes ;  The  Prince 
relents ;  All  lovely  and  serene  over  sharks'  fins  and  birds' 
nests  ;  The  Chinese  language ;  Pigeon  English ;  Coin  and  Cur- 
rency ;  Compradores,  costumes,  and  queues ;  Pawnbrokers'  Shops  ; 
Small  Feet ;  Fashion  makes  hideous  things  beautiful ;  Visit  to 
a  wealthy  Chinaman ;  Tea  as  is  Tea ;  A  Gentleman,  though 
wearing  a  pigtail ;   Luxury  next  door  to  Penury 95__103 

NUMBER  SIXTEEN. 

Approach  to  Hong  Kong;  Safely  landed  under  the  protection  of  a 
young  Amazon  ;  Wonderful  prosperity  of  Hong  Keng  ;  The  great- 
est Smuggling  Depot  in  the  World  ;  Manners  and  Customs  of  the 
people  ;  The  most  snobbish  place  in  China  ;  Street  Scenes  ;  Sepoys 
trom  India ;  Parsees ;  Black  Policemen;  Justice  swift  and  sure; 
A  Chinese  Jack  Cade;  Broad  brimmed  hats;  Sedan  Chairs; 
Climbing  Victoria  Peak;  Reception  to  Mr.  Seward;  A  Buckeye 
abroad  who  is  creditable  to  his    country 104 — 111 

NUMBER   SEVENTEEN. 

American  Steamers  in  China;  Up  the  Canton  River;  My  fellow 
Passengers;  The  Bogue  Forts;  Pagodas;  Commodore  Foote  and 
the  Barrier  Forts  ;  Fleet  of  Boats  ;  Charmine ;  Temple  of  Honam  ; 
Transmigration  of  souls  ;  Street  Scenes  in  Canton  ;  Cat  and  Dog 
Meat  Shops;  Pawnbrokers;  Curiosity  Shops;  Soothing  Syrup; 
Temple  of  500  Genii ;  Temple  of  Confucius  ;  Temple  of  Longevity  ; 
Flower  Pagoda  ;    Execution  ground;    Examination  hall *..1I2 — 120 


NUMBER  EIGHTEEN. 

Steamer  life  in  the  tropics;  Arrival  at  Singapore;  A  Boat  ride 
by  moonlight  ;  Chinese  Festival  ;  An  English  Toddy  Shop  ;  Pop- 
ulation and  Climate  of  Singapore;  Character  of  the  Malays;  The 
Creese  ;  Running  a  muck  ;  Nature  so  lavish  that  mankind  de- 
generates ;  Picturesque  Costumes  :  The  Gharry  and  its  driver  ; 
A  Morning  Ride;  The  Asiatic  Gardens;  Fan  Palms;  Victoria 
Regias;  Tropical  Vegetation;  A  Chinese  Millionaire;  A  Court- 
eous gentleman  ;   The  Whampoa  Garden 121 — 128 

NUMBER  NINETEEN. 

Up  the  Straits  of  Malacca ;  Penang,  and  the  Province  of  Wellesley  ; 
Malay  Pirates;  "Old  John  Brown;"  The  Penang  Lawyer : 
Mount  Pleasant ;  Pure  laziness  ;  The  "Marvel  of  Tropical  Beauty  ;  " 
A  Granite  bath  tub  and  natural  shower  bath;  Loyal  Britons 
Abroad  ;  Royal  Scapegraces;  The  Dorian  ;  Difference  of  opinion  ; 
A  Wager;  John  Bull  against  Jonathan;  An  exciting  national 
Contest;  Yankee  comes  off  victorious;  The  Andaman  Isles; 
"Life  On  the  Ocean  Wave;"    Not  all  pure  romance 129-135 

NUMBER  TWENTY. 

Approach  to  India  ;  The  Hooghly  ;  Garden  Reach;  Calcutta;  The 
King  of  Oude;  The  Landing;  Native  Magpies  and  Blackbirds; 
The  Grent  Eastern;  "New  Varmint;"  Morning  Races;  A  Gay 
Crowd;  The  Eurasians;  Commerce  of  Calcutta;  The  "Black 
Hole;"  The  East  India  Company;  Government  of  India;  The 
Viceroy;  A  Perambulating  Government  ;  Palanquins;  A  Catas- 
trophe; Good-Bye  to  "New  Varmint ;  "  India  Railways  ;  Iron  Re- 
places wood;   Delights  of  Summer  Travel;    Native  Servants 13G— 144 

NUMBER  TWENTY-ONE. 

Currency  in  India;  Small  Change  always  wanted;  Requisites  for 
a  journey;  An  Unique  head  gear;  Sleeping  Carriages;  Irriga- 
tion; Opium  Monopoly;  Scenes  on  the  Railway ;  Native  Villages ; 
Benares,  ihe  Holy  City;  Shiva-Dona.  Pundit;  The  Ganges;  The 
Monkey  Temple  ;  The  Ghauts  of  Benares ;  Burning  Bodies  ;  An 
Ancient  Observatory;  Mosque  of  Aurrangzebe  ;  A  Glimpse  be- 
hind the  scenes;  The  Curtain  suddenly  dropped;  The  Golden 
Pagoda;  Hindoo  Worship  ;  A  String  of  marigolds  ;  England  man- 
ufactures idols  for  India 14-j — 154 

NUMBER  TWENTY-TWO. 

Allahabad  Junction  ;  The  City  of  Allah  ;  An  Invisible  River  ;  Par- 
adise for  the  Faithful  ;  The  Fort  ;  A  Puzzle  for  Savans  ;  Club  for 
a  (iiant;  The  Future  Capital :  Krusru  Garden  ;  Tame  Sparrows; 
Cawnpore;  The  Sepoy  Rebellion ;  The  .Memorial  Garden  ;  Euck- 
now,  The  City  of  Palaces  ;  First  inipres&ions  illusive;  The  Heart's 
Delight  ;  Martiniere  ;  "Sccundra  Bagh,"  the  ''Palace  of  Casar  ;  " 
The  Museum;  The  Residency;  An  impressive  ruin;  "Dinna  ye 
Hear  the  Slogan ?"  The  Grave  of  Havelcck  ;  Barbarity  of  the  con- 
querors;  Treatment  of  the  natives 155 — 163 

NUMBER  TWENTY-THREE. 

Approach  to  Agra ;  Cotton  Boats;  The  Sights  of  Agra;  The  Fort: 
Hall  of  Judgment  ;  The  Sandal  wood  Gates  ;  The  Emperor's  Pal- 
ace ;  A  Mammoth  Paehisi-Board ;  The  Pearl  Mosque;  Becundra 
Bagh  ;  A  Fancy  Team  ;  Akbar's  Mausoleum  ;  The  Taj  ;  A  'I  bing 
of  beauty,  and  a  wonderful  echo;   The  Taj  seen  by    blue    lights; 


A  Persian  Description  ;  Delhi ;  A  Great  Scoundrel ;  Visit  to  the 
Citadel;  The  Hall  of  Audience  ;  The  Peacock  Throne  ;  Chandnee 
Chowk  ;  The  Great  Mosque;  A  Field  of  animated  poppies;  Rel- 
ics  of  Mahomet ;  "By  the  Prophet's  Beard  ;  "  The  Cashmere  Gate  ; 
A  Gallant  Deed  161—172 

NUMBER  TWENTY-FOUR. 

Indian  Conjurors;  Making  a  Mango  tree  grow  from  the  seed;  Her- 
editary (ccupations  in  India;  Snake  Charmers;  Bitten  by  a 
cobra;  Shopping  in  Delhi  ;  Shawl  Store  of  Manick  Chund  ;  Ind- 
ian Costumes;  Observatory;  Mausoleums;  The  Koontub  Minar; 
Legend  of  the  Iron  Pillar  ;  Humayoon's  Tomb ;  The  Last  of  the 
Moguls;  A  Sam  Patch  leap;  Memorial  of  a  wicked  old  king; 
One  of  the  results  of  polygamy  ;  "Laying  a  Dak  ;  "  The  Horse 
Dak  of  India;  Unique  style  of  traveling;  Tame  squirrels  and 
birds ;  The  Mohun  Pass  ;  "Sudden  Death"  for  chickens  ;  Drawn 
by  Coolies  ;  "Whiling  the  Hours  by  cheerful  discourse"  of  man- 
eating  Tigers;    Arrival  at  Deyra 173 — 182 

NUMBER  TWENTY-FIVE. 

A  Lively  start  from  Deyra  ;  Scenes  along  the  road  ;  "Caravanseries  ;  " 
Warfare  against  wild  beasts;  Hindoos  take  no  part  in  it;  Man- 
eating  Tigers  ;  A  Paradise  of  Snakes;  White  Skins  are  patents  of 
nobility  ;  Salaam  All ;  Approach  to  the  Himalayas ;  Up  the  moun- 
tains ;  The  Jampans  ;  Charming  scenery  ;  Caught  in  a  storm  ;  Des- 
perate situation;  Mussoorie  in  winter  quarters;  Jolly  as  Mark 
Tapley;  Simla,  the  Hill  Capital  of  India;  The  Snowy  Range; 
Magnificent  Views  of  the  Mountains  ;  A  Beautiful  apparition  ;  A 
Bengalese  Handy  Andy;  "Grilled  Boots;"  Elephant  and  Tiger 
Hunters;  Right  Royal  Sport ;  Return   to  Saharunpore 183 — 191 

NUMBER  TWENTY-SIX. 

Return  Southward  ;  .lubbalpore;  Legend  of  the  Nerbudda  ;  The  Mar- 
ble Rocks;  Prison  of  the  Thugs;  Traveling  companions  ;  A  Cigar 
well  invested;  The  Russian  Question;  Will  the  Russian  Bear 
drive  the  English  Bull  out  of  India? 102—105 

NUMBER  TWENTY-SEVEN. 

Lucky  Crows;  Summit  of  the  Ghauts;  Perilous  Descent ;  Bombay,  the 
Cotton  Metropolis  of  India  ;  Founded  by  the  Portugese,  given  to 
the  English ;  King  Cotton  here  absolute ;  The  Parsees ;  Street 
Scenes  ;  Byculla  Hotel ;  Yacht  Race  ;  The  "Live  Yankee"  almost 
wins;  Wenham  Lake  Ice ;  Caves  of  Elephanta;  Hindoo  Ideal  of 
God;  Farewell  to  India 10G— 200 

NUMBER  TWENTY-EIGHT. 

From  Bombay  to  Suez;  The  "Arabia;"  My  Fellow  Passengers; 
"Susianna ;  "  The  Stage  Yankee ;  Sea  Voyaging  in  the  Tropics  ; 
Aden,  the  Gibralter  of  the  Red  Sea ;  A  most  desolate  situation  ; 
The  Harbor  landing;  The  Padre  and  I  take  a  run  ashore;  John 
Chinaman;  An  Abyssinian  exquisite  and  his  bride;  The  Water 
Tanks  and  Bazaar*;  The  Padre's  generosity  gets  us  into  trouble; 
Perim  ;  The  British  play  a  Yankee  Trick  on  the  French  ;  Mocha, 
the  Coffee  City;  Navigation  of  the  Red  Sea  ;  Why  "Red?"  Winds 
Always  Ahead ;  Sinai  in  sight,  but  Ave  can't  see  the  chariot 
wheels  ;  Welcome  Suez 201  —  209 


NUMBER  THIRTY. 

The  Suez  Canal  an  accomplished  fact;  Reasons  alleged  for  its  fail- 
ure; Bugbears  Exploded;  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps :  Is  i:  a  pecuniary 
success?  Rates  of  Toll;  New  Lines  of  Steamer-;;  The  Tides;  Width, 
Depth,  and  Rate  of  speed  allowed  ;  Mammoth  Dredging  Machine- ; 
Lac  Amer ;  Lake  Timsah;  Ismailia;  Lake  Menzaleh;  Port  Said, 
the  "Silver  Grate ; "  The  Sweet-water  Canal:  "Water  is  Gold;" 
''Have  a  shine,  Sir?"  A.  Showy  old  Turk  ;  Across  the  Desert: 
Egyptian  Soldiers;  An  amusing  sight ;  Mud  Hovels  for  Peasants, 
and  Palaces  for  Princes:  Arrive  at  "Grand  Cairo'' "210 — 21S 

NUMBER  THIRTY-ONE. 

Cairo;  Church  bells  do  not  make  a  Sabbath ;  Dragomen;  Scenes  in 

front  of  the  Hotel ;  Peddlers  and  Mountebanks  ;  Donkeys  and  don- 
key boys;  A'T)onk"  with  an  illustrious  name;  The  Fez;  The 
Bazaars;  Sprinkling  Machines;  The  "'Light  of  the  Harem;  "  Old 
Abraham  comes  to  grief;  The  Citadel:  The  Mamelukes'  Leap: 
The  Great  Mosque  :  Island  of  Rhoda;  Moses  in  the  bulrushes;  The 
Nilometer;  Joseph's  Granaries;  The  Shoobra  Gardens;  A  Mo- 
hamedan's  Paradise:  Mohamet Ali ;  Heliopolis ;  The  Virgin's  syc- 
amore tree  ;  Dancing  Dervishes 219 — 228 

NUMBER  THIRTY-THREE. 

El  Kaherah  ;  The  Nile;  Ancient  knowledge  of  the  Egyptians;  Lost 
Arts;  Visit  to  Memphis  and  Sakharra;  An  early  start;  Sand 
Storm  in  the  Desert :  The  City  of  the  Pharaohs  ;  Temple  of  Apis: 
Cemetery  of  the  Sacred  Bulls  ;  Lunch  among  the  "Old  Master.-:" 
An  "Antique "  factory  ;  Typhoons  at  sea  and  Siroccos  on  land  ; 
Pyramids  of  Ghizah  :  Egyptian  Soldiers;  Fertility  of  the  soil; 
Old  Cheops;  Up  we  go;  View  from  the  summit:  The  King's 
chamber  ;  The  Sphynx 22C — 237 


ERRATA, 


nth  r 

age,  3 2d  Line, 

23d 

"       28th     " 

30th 

"       4th       " 

37th 

"       20th     " 

37th 

"       33d      " 

40th 

"       16th     " 

42d 

"       10th     (: 

45th 

2d 

45th 

"       27th     <; 

48th 

li      30th     " 

54th 

"      25th    " 

54th 

"       24th     " 

54th 

"       2d 

55th 

"      6th       " 

55th 

"       2d 

59th 

"      15th     " 

Gist 

"      21st      " 

75th 

"      22d      " 

78th 

"      11th     " 

84th 

"      18th  _  " 

89th 

"      last  line, 

97th 

"      8th     " 

99th 

"      23d     " 

102d 

"      2d       •' 

106th 

"      16th    " 

108th 

"       1st      " 

108th 

"      2d      " 

109th 

"      17th    " 

110th 

"      5th      " 

110th 

"      31st    " 

112th 

"      25th    " 

112th 

"      7th      " 

115th 

"      9th      ': 

116th 

<:      3d       li 

117th 

"      19th    " 

123d 

"      9th      " 

124th 

u      27th    " 

126th 

•'      11th    " 

128th 

"      11th    " 

130th 

"      9th     " 

132d 

"      9th      '■ 

135th 

"      5th      " 

135th 

"      12th    " 

137th 

"      14th    " 

139th 

"      11th    " 

139th 

"      16th    '• 

142d 

"       22d     " 

1 49th 

"      24th    " 

,  for  one  read  our. 

add  expected. 

from  bottom,  for  happy  read  matchless. 
discard  the  word  of. 
for  ong  read  long. 

from  bottom,  after  the  word  higher  insert  rank. 
for  Duel  read  Dual. 
from  bottom,  for  raising  read  using. 

"  "         "     have  read  /?«s. 

"  top,  after  the  word  sold  insert  to  them. 

"  "     for  saerifieiously  read  .sacrilegiously. 

"  bottom,  forpeafe  read  pates. 

"  "         for  Sea  read  Tea. 

n  li         for  notions  read  natives. 

"  "         for  e#  read  te/V. 

"  top,  after  the  word  and  insert  ^real  was. 

for  second  read  sacred. 

"  wAew  read  where. 

"  wove/  read  naval. 

"  pari?/  read  family. 

"  wte»  read  m  olden. 

"  hurried  read  honied. 

from  bottom,  for  started  read  stared. 

"  top,  for  .s/ta//  read  should. 

11  "     for  o/read  on. 

"  "     for  pair ial  read  pat riir. 

"  bot'om,  for /ir??i  read  ./me. 

"  "         for  Domingo  read  Francisro. 

''  top,  for  arrows  read  cotjis. 

"  "for  sZwfe  read  ^ide. 

'  "     for /u'e  readme. 

"  bottom,  for  Albert  read  albeit. 

"  top,  for  sio/ti  read  site. 

"  "     after  the  word  grounds  insert  attached. 

"  bottom,  for  Kennshaw  read  cumshav. 

"  top,  for  ow<  read  few*. 

"  bottom,  for  sloped  read  shaped. 

11  "         for  orchards  read  orchids. 

Ci  top,  for  cunnshaw  read  cumshair. 

"  bottom,  for  s/wrc  read  board. 

"  "         for  cologne  read  Cologne 

"  top,  for  servants  read  steamers. 

"  bottom,  for  nor/A  read  car/A. 

"  top,  for  music  read  mimic 

"  ''     for  drays  read  drags. 

"  bottom,  for  nations  read  natives 

'•  "         for  so  read  as. 

"  top,  for  c/au  read  clang. 


151st 

152.1 

153d 

155th 

158th 

130ch 

164th 

169th 

171st 

171st 

172d 

172d 

172d 

175th 

176th 

177th 

180th 

185th 

193d 

199th 

200th 

200th 

202d 

202d 

204th 

204th 

207th 

209th 

210th 

216th 

217th 

217th 

219th 

219th 

220th 

223d 

227th 

229th 

229th 


page,  15th  line  from  bottrm,  for  cento acted  read  committed. 

11th  "  "  "         for  river  read  view. 

12th  "  "  top,  for  hand  read  hands. 

5th  "  "  bottom,  for  miles  read  yards 

19th  "  "  top,  for  onelcan  read  unclean. 

11th  "  *'  bottom,  for  break  read  breach. 

21st  "  "  "         for  o.s-  read  and. 
top  line,  should  read,  ''The  cenotaphs  arc  of  marble. 

6;h  line  from  top,  for  vested  read  rested. 

loth  ''  "  bottom,  for  dean  read  clear. 

22d  "  "  top,  for  remarkable  read  venerable. 

23d  "  M  bottom,  for  head  read  beard. 

8th  "  "  "        for  brick  read  breach. 

18th  "  ''  top,      for  ear-rings  read  carvings. 

24th  ''  "  bottom,  for  and  culture  read  in  colon. 

13th  ''  "  "         for  covering  read  carving. 

8th  "  "  "        for  for  read  from. 

1 1  tli  "  "  '•        for  shule  read  thule. 

7th  "  "  ,;         for  touper  read  toupee. 

24th  "  "  "         for  parts  read  yards. 

4th  "  '•  top         for  leave  read  visit. 

12th  "  "  bottom,  for  small  read  much. 

29th  "  "  ';         for  that  read  than. 

26th  "  "  "         for  Wait  re  read  Maiire. 

17th  ''  "  top,  for  when  read  where. 

6th  "  "  bottom,  for  when  read  where. 

8th  <;  <:  "         for  hold  read  neM. 

14th  "  ''  top,  for  thin  read  their. 

23d  "  "  "  before  the  word  all  insert  from. 

bottom  line,  for  ornament  read  armament. 

5th  line  from  top,  for  Hint-locks  read  flint*. 

5th  "  "  bottom,  for  by  read  in  the. 

18th  line  "  top,  for  August  read  March. 

15th  "  "  bottom,  for  unnecessary  read  incessant. 

23d  "  "  "      for  Zoo.se  read  lose. 

11th  "  "  "      erase  the  last  these. 

8th  "  u  "      add  in  Paradise. 

15th  "  "  top,  for  September  read  April. 

10th  "  "  bottom,  for  when  read  where. 


ROUND  THE  WORLD, 

NUMBER  ONE. 

Good-Bye   to  Cleveland— The  Kansas 
Pacific    Route— Buffalos,    Antelopes 
and  Prairie  Dogs— A  Savory   Stew- 
Denver  and  the  Rocky  Mountains— 
Greeley— Cheyenne  to  the  Summit- 
Down  Grade  to  the  Salt   Lake  Val- 
ley—The   City    of    Deseret— Several 
Landladies    in   One   Hotel— Visit  to 
the   Theater— The    Prophets'    Wives 
and     Daughters— A  Mormon    Audi- 
ence* 
[Special  Correspondence  of  Cleveland  Leader,] 
Salt  Lake  City,  October  2G,  1S70. 
"Westward  the  Star  of  Empire  takes  its 
way,"    This  is  my  motto ;  and  as  the  lights 
of  our  Forest  City  grow   dim  in  the  dis- 
tance, I  try  in  vain  to  realize  that,  leaving 
all  that  is  so  dear  to  me  behind,  I  am  really 
started  on  my  way  "Round  the  World."    A 
day  in  Chicago,  another  in  St.  Louis,  and  I 
take  the  Kansas  Pacific  route  to  California, 
via  Denver,  in  preference  to  the  Omaha  or 
Northern  road.    This  route  takes  the  trav- 
eler across  the  young  and  growing  State  of 
Kansas  to  Denver,  the  central  city  and  cap- 
ital of  Colorado,  about  nine  hundred  miles 
west  of  St.  Louis ;    thence  north  along  the 
base  of  the  Kocky  Mountains,  one  hundred 
and  ten  miles,  to  Cheyenne,  where  he  con- 
nects with  the  Union  Ffciflu  road  at  a  point 
five  hundred  miles  west  of  Omaha.    The 
through  fare  is  the  same  by  either  route, 
and  although  this  may  be  half  a  day  longer, 
it  is    far  more   interesting,    as   it.  passes 
through  the  towns  of  Leavenworth,  Law- 
rence, Topeka  and  Lecompton,  places  his- 
torical in   "border  ruffian"  times,  where 
still  lingers  the  memory  of  John  Brown  and 
his  friends,  many  of  whom  sacrificed  their 
lives  in  trying  to  save  Kansas  to  freedom. 
The  events  of  the  great  rebellion  that  fol- 
lowed, and  the  names  and  places  then  made 
famous  forever,   have  almost  driven  from 
recollection  these  famous  men. 
Of  the  six  hundred  miles  from  Kansas 


City  to  Drnver,  the  first  two  hundred  it  ay- 
be  briefly  described  as  prairie,  where  thuv- 
ing  towns  are  trapidlyjspringiBg  up  along 
the  line  of  the  railroad,  and  well  cultivated 
farms  will  ;soon;  form  a  continuous  line  to 
the  border  of  the  plains,  which  stretch 
westward  another  two  hundred  miles,  over 
which  the  buffalo  still  range,  but  are  grow- 
ing scarcer  every  year ;  then  two  hundred 
miles  of  desert,  parched  and  arid,  where 
the  great  drawback  to  settlement 
and  culture  will  always  be  the  lack 
of  water.  Here  the  stations  on  the 
road  are  few  and  far  between,  being 
rarely  dignified  by  names,  and  distinguished 
only  by  numbers.  But  exactly  where  the 
plains  end  and  the  desert  begins  is  difficult 
to  tell.  5  This  is  the  famous  "Smoky  Hi}l 
route/'  the  scene  of  nearly  all  the  Indian 
outrages  upon  overland  travelers  before  the 
railroad  was  completed.  As  it  passes 
through  the  great  buffalo  range,  the  sweetest 
pastures  and  best  hunting-grounds  of  the 
Indians,  they  resisted  the  encroachment  of 
the  "iron  horse"  for  a  considerable  time 
after  they  had  yielded  the  valley  of  the 
Platte.  And  now  it  is  an  attractive  feature 
to  the  traveler  by  this  route,  that  speeding 
along  twenty  five  miles  an  hour  in  a  Pull- 
man car  he  can  see  occasional  herds 
of  buffilo,  and  be  regaled  on  buffalo  and 
antelope  meat  at  every  eating  station.  A 
few  weeks  ago  a  large  herd  of  buffalo  cross- 
ing the  track  compelled  the  engineer  to  stop 
his  train.  Antelopes  are  almost  constantly 
in  sight  from  the  cars,  and  fall  an 
easy  pray  to  the  hunter.  Hs  fastens  a  red 
flag  to  a  stick,  and,  lying  quietly  on  the 
ground  within  rifle  distance,  the  graceful, 
gazelle-like  animal,  with  ears  erect, 
gradually  approaches,  and  falls  an  easy  vic- 
tim to  his  curiosity. 

As  we  approach  Denver,  the  second 
morning  irom  St.  Louis,  we  catch  our  first 
view  of  the  magnificsnt  scenery  enjoyed  by 
the  traveler  "across  the  continent."  We 
have  been  gradually  and  almost  impercepti- 
bly climbing  until  we  reacb  the  plain  upon 
which  Denver  is  built,  over  five  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  stretch- 
ing westward  twenty  miles  further  to  the 
"Black  Hi  11  s,"  behind  which  rise  the  lofty, 
snow-covered  peaks  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. Silvered  with  the  first  rays  of  the 
morning  sud,  we  see  Pike's  Peak,  fourteen 
thousand  feet  high,  on  the  extreme  south  of 
the  range,  and  Long's  peak,  still  higher,  as 
far  north  as  the  eye  can  reach.    Between 


9 

these  is  a  continuous  line  of  snow-cipped 
summits,  some  clear  and  distinct  in  lines,  a-> 
if  cut  from  marble,  others  partly  obscured 
by  clouds  and  mist.  The  mountain  air  at 
this  elevation  is  remarkably  clear,  and  ob- 
jects can  be  discsrned  at  a  great  distance. 
It  is  hard  ro  believe  that  Pike'3  Peak  is 
over  seventv  miles  away,  and  the  nearest 
summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  range  fully 
fifty  miles  distant. 

Denver  is  a  quiet,  well-built  city  of  seven 
thousand  inhabitants.  Brick  blocks  hive 
taken  the  place  of  board  and  canvas  shan- 
ties ;  a  good  city  government,  enforcing  law 
and  order,  has  replacsd  the  vigilance  com- 
mittees that  found  it  necessary  a  few  years 
ago  to  hang  the  cut  throats  and  desperadoes 
who  infested  the  place.  The  mineral  wealth 
of  Colorado  is  almost  boundless,  and  all  she 
needs  now  is  the  discovery  of  some  simple 
atjd  cheap  process  by  which  her  ores  can  be 
desulphurized. 

From  Denver  to  Cheyenne  the  road  runs 
due  north  over  a  smooth  plain,  with  the 
"JEtockys"  in  plain  sight  on  our  left.  We 
watch  with  interest  the  herds  cf  antelope 
almost  within  rifle  range  of  the  cars,  while 
the  fat  little  prairie  dogs  attracted  by  the 
bright  warm  sun  can  be  seen  in  thousands 
as  they  sit  barking  at  the  passing  train 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  track.  Each  one 
is  squatted  on  the  little  mound  of  earth 
thrown  up  from  his  hole,  and  they  seem  to 
wink  at  us  with  a  comical  self-satisfied  air, 
as  much  as  to  say,  "We  know  you  are  in  too 
much  of  a  hurry  to  trouble  us;"  but  if  the 
train  stops  they  dodge  into  their  holes  as 
quick  as  a  flash.  They  are  not,  in  fact,  "dogs" 
at  ail,  but  a  species  of  rabbit,  light  brown  in 
color  and  but  little  larger  than  grey  squirrels. 
They  frequently  share  their  holes  with 
rattlesnakes  and  owls,  and  all  fraternize  like 
Barnum's  happy  family.  Their  great  ene- 
my is  the  prowling  cayote,  the  cowardly 
wolf  of  the  plains,  whose  teeth  are  against 
every  animal  smaller  and  weaker  than  him- 
self. One  of  the  most  savory  dishes  yester- 
day morning  at  the  eating  station  was  called 
a  "rabbit  stew,"  of  which  we  all  partook 
freely.  Before  leaving  the  table  it  occurred 
to  me  to  enquire  of  the  colored  waiter 
whether  rabbits  were  plenty  in  that  region. 
His  reply  was  rather  startling— "Oh  yes, 
mas  a,  de  prairie  dogs  is  nice  and  fat  just 
now." 

Half  way  from  Denver  to  Cheyenne  we 
stop  for  a  few  minutes  at  the  new  town  of 
Greeley,  containing  1,500  people,  and  only 


10 

five  months  old.  This  place  has  sprung  up 
like  magic.  The  father  and  projector  of  this 
colony  is  Mr.  Meeker,  lor  many  years  the 
agricultural  editor  of  the  New  York  Tribune. 
This  town  is  a  marvel  ot  industry  and  enter* 
prise,  established  and  managed  on  eastern 
principles.  Xo  liquor  saloons  are  al- 
lowed in  the  plac?,  which  so  scan- 
dalizes the  rough  Coloradans  in  that 
region  that  as  one  of  these  outsiders  ex- 
pressed himself  to  me,  they  are  "down  on 
the  d— d  Republican  puritanical  fanatics.'* 
However,  their  heads  are  level,  they  mind 
their  own  business,  ask  no  favors  of  their 
rough  neighbor?,  and  are  going  straight  for- 
ward on  the  road  to  prosperity  and  wealth. 
If  Greeley  meets  with  no  setback  it  bids 
fair  in  a  few  years  to  outstrip  even  Denver 
in  population. 

At  Cheyenne  we  strike  the  Union  Pacific 
line,  and  here  commences  the  ascent  of  the 
great  mountain  range,  the  backbone  of  this 
continent.  A  steep  up-grade  for  fifty  miles 
briegs  us  to  Sherman— named  after  the  tall- 
est general  in  the  service— the  highest  point 
on  the  whole  route  to  the  Pacific,  and  per- 
haps on  any  railway  in  the  world.  "We  are 
now  8,242  feet  above  the  sea,  nearly  half  a 
mile  higher  than  the  summit  of  Mount 
TVshington.  The  extreme  lightness  of  the 
atmosphere  tries  our  lungs  as  we  draw  in 
lorg  breaths  of  the  pure  mountain  air. 
Active  exercise  is  here  very  difficult,  and 
although  our  wind  may  be  good,  a  short 
foot  race  makes  us  puff  like  so  many  por- 
poises. Then  comes  the  descent  of  the 
grade,  and  we  pass  through  some  of  the 
grandest  mountain  scenery  in  the  world. 
Another  Eight  and  a  day  brings  us  across 
Wyoming  and  into  Utah  territory,  over  the 
Laramie  plains— a  splendid  grazing  coun 
try— through  the  wonderful  Echo  canon, 
where  1.000  feet  above  our  heads  we  see  the 
fortifications  built  by  the  Mormons  thirteen 
years  ago  to  resist  the  passage  of  Uncle 
Sam's  troops,  under  Johnston,  afterward  a 
famous  general  in  the  rebel  service.  Thence 
through  the  Weber  canon,  past  the  thou- 
sand mile  tree,  winding  round  the 
mountains  on  a  narrow  shelf,  with 
a  steep  rock  on  one  side  and 
a  dizzy  precipice  on  the  other— dashing 
through  dark  channels,  rattling  over  high 
trestle-work  bridges  across  deep  gorges, 
and  now  through  a  narrow  cleft  in  the  rock 
called  the  * 'Devil's  Gate,"  we  emerge  from 
the  Wahsatch  range  of  mountains  to  j.  scene 
of  light  and  beauty.    Before  us  in  the  dim 


11 

distance  is  the  great  Salt  Lake,  at  our  feet 
are  broad  plains  and  green  fields,  dotted 
with  cosy  houses  and  surrounded  with  gar- 
dens and  orchards.  This  is  Salt  Lake  Val- 
ley, the  Canaan  of  the  "Latter  Day  Saints.' 
Soon  we  reach  Ogden,  one  thousand  and 
thirty -two  miles  from  Omaha,  the  junction 
of  the  Union  Pacific  with  the  Central  Pa- 
cific railroad,  from  which  point  Brigham 
Young  has  built  a  road  thirty-six  miles  long 
to  Salt  Lake  City.  A  visit  to  Brigham  and 
the  Mormons  being  on  our  programme,  we 
here  branch  cff,  and,  soon  after 
dark,  find  ourselves  in  the  midst  of 
Mormondom  at  a  hotel  which  has  one  land- 
lord and  three  landladies.  Which  one  of  the 
latter  attend  to  the  culinary  department  I 
cannot  say,  ut  she  deserves  the  credit  of 
giving  us  th  best  6upper  of  tender  steak 
and  fresh  brook  trout  that  we  have  tasted 
for  weeks.  We  notice  that  the  landlord  has 
a  sad,downcast  look,  which,  under  other  cir- 
cumstances, would  excite  our  sympathy  and 
compassion. 

It  is  Wednesday  evening,  and  we  are  in- 
formed tbat  the  theater,  one  of  the  Mormon 
institutions,  is  open  on  this  and  Saturday 
evenings,  so  we  hasten  up  the  street  two  or 
three  squares  to  this  temple  of  histrionic 
art,  regardless  of  mud,  rain  and  darkness, 
gaslight  being  here  unknown.  We  are  a 
little  late,  but  paying  a  dollar  for  one  ticket 
we  quietly  make  our  way  to  near  the  center 
of  the  parquette,  with  a  view  to  see 
the     audience     rather     than     the     play. 

The  theater  is  plainly  finished,  painted 
white,  without  gilding  or  fresco.  Four 
tiers  of  boxes  rise  one  above  another  from 
the  parquette  to  the  ceiling,  and  it  will  seat 
about  two  thousand  five  hundred  people. 
To-night  it  is  but  partly  filled,  owing  to  the 
mud  and  rain,  but  the  audience  seems  in  a 
very  appreciative  and  enjoyable  mood.  Af« 
ter  glancing  quietly  around  for  a  few  min- 
utes I  asked  an  intelligent  looking  man  in 
front  of  me  whether  President  Young  is 
hero.  "No  sir,  he  is  not  here  to-night,  as 
usual,  as  he  has  just  returned  to-day  from 
Provo  and  is  tired  out.''  Encouraged  by 
his  polite  answer  I  ventured  to  inquire  if 
any  of  his  wives  are  present.  "Oh,  yes, 
those  two  ladies  in  tho  proscenium  or  stage 
box  are  his  wives,  and  that  little  boy  with 
them  is  his  son,  and  there,"  pointing  to  a  pri- 
vate box  on  the  right,  "are  a  dozen  or  more  of 
his  daughters."  For  the  next  fi  if  teen  minutes 
ray  opera  glass  was  directed  as  often  as  could 
be  done  without  attracting  attention  to  the 


12 

wives  and  daughters  of  the  prophet.  They 
were  all  well  and  even  fashionably  dressed, 
one  of  the  wives  decidedly  good  looking, 
the  daughters  having  healthy,  ruddy  com- 
plexions,  none  of  them  handsome,  however, 
and  in  the  dim  light  of  coal  oil  chandeliers 
I  could  not  detect  any  family  likeness.  Sev- 
eral of  them  had  opera  glasses,  which  they 
handled  as  gracefully  as  any  habitue  of  the 
opera;  all  were  neatly  gloved,  and  they 
formed  an  attractive  group.  Returning  to 
the  charge  I  quietly  asked  my  friend 
in  front  whether  any  other  distinguished 
persons  were  in  the  house.  "Oh,  yes,  those 
two  young  ladies  directly  behind  us  with 
light  hair  are  Elder  Smith's  daughters,  one 
of  the  two  associate  presidents  of  the  church 
with  Brigham,  and  yonder  is  Bishop  So  and 
So,  and  there  is  Elder  Brown  and  his  family. 
A  little  to  the  right  of  them  is  Elder  Jones 
and  two  of  his  wives,"  etc.  My  communi- 
cative Mend,  who  saw  that  I  was  a  stranger 
in  pursuit  of  knowledge,  kindly  pointed  out 
a  dozen  or  more  family  group3,  all  cf  whom 
were  paying  such  close  attention  to  thep  ay 
as  to  scarcely  notice  that  our  eyes  w  re 
directed  towards  them.  Up  to  this  tim  I 
had  hardly  glanced  toward  the  stage,  but 
when  I  was  told  that  one  of  the  actresses 
was  the  daughter  of  a  high  dignitary  in  the 
church,  I  looked  at  my  bill  and  found  they 
were  playing  the  comedy  of  the  "Wonder- 
ful "Woman."  All  were  amateurs,  and  tho 
acting  was  decidedly  good.  Noticing  quite  a 
number  of  small  children  in  the  audience,  1 
asked  my  Mormon  friend  whether  it  was  cus- 
tomary for  so  many  young  people  to  attend 
the  theater.  "Ye?,"  he  replied,  "we  never 
put  on  the  stage  those  immoral  plays 
so  common  in  other  theaters"— a  good 
hit  at  the  Oentiles,  thought  I.  The 
orchestra  consisted  of  nine  musi- 
cians, all  amateurs.  After  the  comedy 
came  the  "Essence  of  Ole  Virginny,"  in  the 
shape  of  a  negro  dance,  which  set  the  young 
people  half  crazy.  The  performance  then 
closed  with  a  laughable  farce  called  the 
4 'Young  Widow." 

A  survey  of  the  audience  convinced  me  that 
the  female  portion  were  decidedly  superior 
in  intelligence  and  refinement  of  manners  and 
dress  to  the  males.  Many  of  the  latter 
were  rough  and  coarse  in  look?  and  dress, 
and  they  especially  enjoyed  the  negro  dance, 
which  they  loudly  encored.  They  did  not 
look  rowdyish,  nor  were  there  any  cat  calls 
or  other  such  demonstrations  not  uncommon 
in  Eastern  theaters,. but  they  seemed  to  be- 


la 


long  to  a  lower  order  of  society  than  their 
fair  companions.  Brigham  owns  and  runs 
the  theater.  He  believes  in  a '  'personal  gov- 
ernment, "  and  caters  for  the  amusement  01 
his  people.  The  performance'was  over  before 
eleven  o'clock,  and  I  picked  my  way  through 
the  mud  back  to  the  hotel  without  the 
slightest  feeling  of  danger,  for  the  streets  of 
Salt  Lake  are  safer  in  the  darkest  night 
than  are  those  of  most  cities  of  half  its  size. 
To  morrow  I  must  see  the  institutions, 
call  on  the  Mormon  prophet  and  the  elder?, 
an  account  of  which  will  be  found  in  my 
next  letter.  W.  P.  F. 


NUMBEK  TWO. 


The    Mormon    City   by    Daylight— Its 
Location    and    Surroundings  --  The 
Tabernacle— A  Polygamist  in  The- 
ory, But  Not  in  Practice— The  Mor- 
mon   Banker— Bishop   and   Colonel 
Little— Lo,   the    Poor    Indian— Not 
for  Joe— No  Outsiders  Admitted— The 
Bishop's     Benediction  —  Interview 
With  Brigham    Young— He   Is   Not 
Posted  in  Pohtics--But  too  Shrewd 
to  be    Caught  Napping— Solution  of 
the  Mormon  Problem. 
[Special  Correspondence  of  the  Cleveland  Leader.] 
Salt  Lake  City,  October  27, 1870. 
As  1  arrived  here  last  night  after  dark  I 
could  form  but  an  imperfect  idea  of  the  lo- 
cation and  appearance  of  the  city.    Taking 
an  early  start  this  morning  I  am  surprised 
at  the  beauty  and  impressed  with  the  gran- 
deur of  the  surrounding  scenery.    The  city 
is  located  in  the  center  of  a  broad  basin, 
the    "Wahsatch    Mountains    on  the   north 
and   east,    a   spur  of   the   same  range  ex- 
tending across  the  southern  horizon -on  the 
west,  perhaps  ten  miles  distant,  is  the  great 
Salt  Lake,  a  body  of  water  eighty  mile s  long 
by  forty  to  fifty  in  width,  and  so  salty  that 
it   is   literally    a   "dead   sea."    No  living 
thing  can  be  found  in  its  waters.    Lofty 
promontories  on  the  further   side  jut  out 
into  the  lake  and  bound  our  view  in  that  di- 
rection. The  city  covers  a  space  of  three  by 
four  miles,  and  is  laid  out  in  squares  of  ten 
acres.  The  squares  are  subdivided  into  eight 
lots  of  about  one  and  a  quarter  acres  each. 
"Water  is  brought  from  the  mountains  on  the 
north    and   flows  through  every  street  on 
either  side.    It  is  pure  and  cold,  and  never 
tails  in  the  dryest  season.    Double  rows  of 
shade  trees  line  the  streets  and  the  water  is 
conducted  into  the  gardens  and  orchards. 
This  is  the  secret  of  the  wonderful  fruitful- 
ness  of  this  land,  which,  without  artificial 
irrigation,  would  be  an  arid  desert.    When 
the    Mormons    came    down   through    the 
canon     of     the       Wahsatch      into     this 
valley,    twenty-three    years    ago,    it   was 


15 

literally  a  desert.  They  had  fled  a 
thousand  miles  from  their  enemies  across 
the  barren  plains,  and  the  one  master  mind 
and  controlling  spirit,  Brigham  Young,  told 
them  here  to  halt  and  lay  ths  foundations  of 
the  "City  of  Deseret."  The  sufferings  of 
this  infatuated  people  for  the  iirst  year  or 
two  were  intense ;  but  labor  skillfully  di- 
rected soon  changed  the  face  of  nature,  and 
they  have  "made  the  desert  to  bloom  and 
blossom  like  the  rose."  However  much  wo 
may  condemn  the  practices  and  institutions, 
we  cannot  deny  that  their  material  prosper- 
ity is  something  wonderful.  To-day  there 
dwells  in  this  once  desert  waste  a  popula- 
tion of  120,000  souls.  Everywhere  maybe 
seen  the  fruits  cf  enterprise  and  persistent 
energy. 

This  city  contains  about  25,000  inhabit- 
ants, and  its  appearance  is  very  attractive. 
The  houses  are  nearly  all  built  of  adobe,  or 
sun  dried  brick,  and  if  more  than  two  sto- 
ries in  height,  the  upper  one  is  built  of 
wood,  as  is  the  case  with  the  Theater  and 
some  other  public  buildings. 

The  lirst  place  visited  this  morning  was 
the  Square,  inclosed  by  a  high  adobe  wall, 
which  contains  the  Tabernacle  and  the 
foundations  of  the  Temple.  There  is  an 
entrance  from  the  street  on  each  of  the  four 
sides.  Passing  in  by  the  east  gate,  I  foucd 
the  Superintendent,  who  very  politely 
showed  me  everything  of  interest.  The 
Tabernacle,  which  takes  the  place  of  the 
former  "Bowery,"  is  an  immense  building, 
oval  inform,  250  feet  long  by  150  wide;  the 
roof  of  wood,  and  self-supporting,  being  80 
feet  in  height.  From  the  outside  it  has  the 
appearance  of  an  immense  dish-cover.  The 
audience  room  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
world,  wiil  seat  by  measurement  13,000  peo- 
ple. It  contains  an  organ  built  entirely  by 
Mormon  mechanics  that  is  second  in  siz? 
only  to  that  in  Boston  Music  Hal!.  This 
immense  room  is  a  perfect  whispering  gal- 
lery, the  arched  form  of  the  ceiling  carrying 
the  slightest  sound  from  one  extreme  end  to 
the  other  without  echo.  A  gallery  extends 
around  the  whole  interior,  and  my  con- 
ductor says  that  the  ordinary  congregatloL 
on  Sunday  is  from  8,000  to  10,000  people, 
but  he  has  seen  14,500  here  on  one  occaaion. 
There  is  no  means  of  heating  this  immense 
building,  and  a  smaller  tabernacle  is  used  in 
winter,  which  will  seat  3,000  My  inform- 
ant is  an  intelligent  man,  English  oy  birth, 
has  been  here  eighteen  years,  and  in  answer 
to  my  inquiries  talks  with  apparent  frank- 


16 


ne-s  of  their  institutions,  including,  of 
course  polygamy.  He  says  he  has  but  one 
wife,  but  believes  that  polygamy  is  right, 
and  ordained  of  God.  "Brother  Brigham" 
has  seventeen  regular  wives,  besides  a  great 
many  others  who  are  spiritually  sealed  to 
him,  and  each  one  expects  to  be  a  queen  in 
heaven.  He  says  a  plurality  of  wives  is 
not  obligatory,  but  every  true  Mormon  must 
be  a  poiygamist  in  theory  if  not  in  practice. 
When  I  tell  him  that  this  institution  is  a 
ccandai  and  disgrace  to  the  civilization  of 
the  nineteenth  century— that  it  is  degrading 
to  woman  and  debasing  to  man— that  on  ac- 
count of  it  the  whole  civilized  world  re- 
gards them  as  outcasts,  disgracing  hu- 
manity, etc,  without  taking  offense,  he 
says:  ki  Nevertheless  it  is  right— it  is  no 
more  degrading  to  us  than  it  was 
to  the  patriarchs  of  old.  God  has 
ordained  it,  and  if  Gcd  be  with  us 
we  can  not  fail  if  the  whole  world  be  against 
U3."  He  is  an  enthusiast  and  a  fanatic,  and 
I  think  is  sincere.  Whetoer  the  same  can 
be  said  of  the  other  brethren  remains  to  be 
seen.  While  talking  we  are  standing  upon 
the  granite  foundations  of  the  great  Temple, 
wnich,  when  completed,  will  cost  $5,000,- 
C0O.  Upon  the  foundations  alone  they  have 
spent  a  million.  It  will  be,  if  ever  built, 
the  finest  structure  on  this  continent.  I  do 
not  believe  it  will  ever  be  completed. 
Brigham  is  the  architect,  as  he  is  the  all  in 
all  of  Mormondom. 

When  at  St.  Lou's  a  friend  gave  me  a  let- 
ter to  Hon.  W.  H.  Hooper,  delegate  in  Con- 
gress from  Utah.  He  remarked  at  the  time 
that  it  would  "introduce  me  into  the  bosom 
of  his  famiiy !"  This  was  rather  startling; 
but  he  relieved  my  apprehensions  by  tell- 
ing me  that  Mr.  Hooper  had  "but  one 
wife."  Mr.  Hooper  is  the  head  of  a  large 
banking  house— the  only  one  in  Utah.  He 
is  an  an'able  and  courteous  gentleman,  and 
received  me  very  cordially.  His  office  was 
full  of  bishops,  eiders,  generals  and  colonels, 
to  all  tt  whom  he  introduced  me,  and, 
though  full  of  business,  he  kindly  offered 
me  every  service  in  his  power.  And  here 
let  me  say  that  there  was  a  frankness,  cor- 
diality and  heartiness  in  the  greeting  of 
every  Mormon  whom  I  met  in  Salt  Lake 
that  surprised  me.  They  couit  investigation, 
and  say  they  have  nothing  to  conceal.  This 
is  not  entirely  sincere,  but  is  partly  as- 
sumed for  eflect.  Mr.  Hooper  put  me  in 
charge  of  Bishop  Little:  a  colonel  in  the 
Mormon  Legion  as  we  I  as  a  dignitary  in 


the  chui  cb.  The  Bishop,  who  is  a  nati?e  oi 
New  Hampshire,  came  here  with  the  first 
settlers.  A  plain  speaking,  plainly-dressed 
man,  hearty  and  bluff  in  manner,  with 
only  jive  or  six  wives.  The  functions  of  his 
office  are  more  civil  than  religious.  A 
Bishop  is  appointed  over  each  ward,  who 
settles  all  quarrels  and  disputes  among  his 
people,  kcep3  them  out  of  lawsuits  and 
sadly  interferes  with  the  business  of  law- 
yers. He  took  me  first  to  the  City  Hall,  a 
fine  brick  building,  and  from  the  cupola 
pointed  out  the  interesting  localities  in  the 
city  and  surrounding  country.  "  Now,"  he 
says,  "come  down  to  my  house,  and  let  me 
show  you  my  carriage  factory."  Walking 
along  we  were  overtaken  by  a  mounted  In- 
dian, whom  he  introduced  to  me  as  "  Sol- 
dier," a  Utah  chief.  Soldier  was  short  and 
fat,  wore  a  red  blanket,  his  face  daubfd  with 
red  paint,  hands  not,  very  clean,  and  he  car- 
ried across  the  saddle  in  front  a  fine  rifle. 
He  gave  an  Indian  grunt  as  I  shook  his 
hand,  and  turning  to  the  Bishop  said, 
"  Squaw  rui.  away ;  you  catch  him ;  gimme 
paper."  "Where  has  she  gone?"  Soldier 
pointed  to  the  South.  The  Bishop  told  him 
where  to  apply  for  the  proper  document, 
and  was  turning  to  leave  when  the  chief 
extended  his  dirty  hand  and  jerked  out,  "two 
bits."  There  was  no  mistaking  the  panto- 
mime, and  my  Mormon  friend  handed  him 
a  quarter.  Soldier  looked  as  if  he  would  like 
to  make  "two  bits"  of  me,  but  relented 
and  without  a  word  of  thanks,  rode  off. 
"  That's  the  way  with  these  red  skins,  al- 
ways begging,"  said  the  Bishop,  "but  we 
must  keep  on  the  right  side  of  them."  I 
am  told  that  every  Indian  within  two  hun- 
dred miles  of  Salt  Lake  will  stand  by  the 
Mormons  in  event  of  any  collision  with 
the  United  States  Government. 

Approaching  the  Bishop'^  residenca 
I  felt  quite  sure  that  I  should  now  see 
something  of  the  inside  of  Mormon  life. 
But  I  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  He 
showed  me  into  his  office,  took  me  through 
his  large  workshops,  introduced  me  to 
Brothers  Smith,  Jones  and  Brown,  his  part- 
ners, blacksmiths  snd  wagon-makers,  and, 
returning  to  his  office,  said  he  was  sorry 
that  his  family  were  "house  cleaniug,"  so 
that  he  could  not  ask  me  into  his  house. 
Although  overrun  with  business,  he  devoted 
halt  an  hour  to  the  hist  jry  of  the  Church, 
told  me  about  Mormon,  Maroni  and  Nephi, 
quoted  fluently  from  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
taments, defended  polygamy  and   pitched 


18 

into  the  Gentiles,  and  as  I  rose  to  leave 
gave  me  a  dollar  bill  of  Salt  Lake  currency 
for  a  memento,  and  bestowed  upon  me  with 
great  fervor  his  apostolic  benediction. 

At  twelve  o'clock  I  called,  by  appoint- 
ment, on  President  Brigham  Young.  His 
houses  and  grounds  occupy  two  ten-acre 
fquares,  enclosed  on  all  sidts  by  a  wall  ten 
feet  high.  Two  long  buildings,  one  sur- 
mounted by  a  bee  hive,  the  other  having  a 
large  stone  lion  over  the  porch,  could  be 
seen  within  the  enclosure.  They  are  con- 
nected by  a  row  of  offices,  into  which  the 
gate  opened  from  th3  street.  Sending  in 
my  card,  I  was  soon  ushered  inte  "the  pres- 
ence." He  received  me  quite  cordially,  and 
I  took  a  rapid  mental  photograph  of  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  men  of  this  genera- 
tion. He  is  in  his  seventieth  year,  but 
looks  at  least  five  years  younger ;  about  five 
feet  ten  inches  in  height,  portly  in  form, 
liond  in  complexion,  with  small  gray  eyes 
se-  far  apart,  3andy  whiskers  closely 
trimmed,  abundant  hair,  false  teeth,  which 
makes  his  mouth  seem  prominent,  some- 
what Garelessly  dressed,  wearing  a 
black  over- coat,  with  a  red  handkerchief 
tied  loosely  around  his  neck  outside  his 
coat— a  quiet,  self-possessed  air  and  manner, 
as  of  a  man  conscious  of  his  power,— such 
was  the  inventory  I  took  of  the  man  who  is 
to-day  a  more  absolute  ruler  of  129,000  peo- 
ple than  any  potentate,  prince  or  president 
in  the  civilized  world. 

I  told  him  I  was  about  to  go  abroad,  and 
as  I  expected  frequently  to  be  asked  about 
Utah  and  the  Mormons,I  wished  to  take  with 
me  some  more  positive  knowledge  of  the 
community  than  I  had  been  aole  to  gather 
frem  books  or  new&paper  accounts.  He 
glanced  at  me  rather  sharply,  surmising 
perhaps  that  I  was  "interviewing"  him  as 
a  newspaper  correspondent,  and  said  that 
he  was  glad  that  the  Pacific  railroad  had 
opened  Utah  to  intelligent  travelers.  He 
and  his  people  had  been  cruelly  misrepre- 
sented, and  he  referred  with  some  bitter- 
ness to  the  speech  of  Senator  Cra^in  of  New 
Hampshire,  which  I  had  mentioned  as  my 
native  State,  said  it  was  a  tissue  of  lies; 
"but,"  he  said,  with  a  malicious  twinkle  in 
his  eyes,  "he  is  not  re-elected  to  the  Senate." 
This  remark  surprised  me,  for  I  knew  Mr. 
Cragin  was  re-elected  last  June,  but  I  did 
not  undeceive  him.  "All  we  ask  is  to  be 
let  alone.  Congress  had  been  very  unfair 
in  not  admitting  Utah  as  a  State,  and  in 
legislating  against  our  institutions."    There 


19 

is  where  the  shoe  pinches,  thought  I.    In 
answer  to  my  enquiry  whether  Utah  as  a 
State  would  be  Kepublican  or  Democratic, 
he  said,  "that  depends  upon  which  party 
does  us  justice."    He  spoke  of  the  wonder- 
ful  prospeiity  of  his  people,    driven   into 
the    wilderness   with   nothing    but   their 
strong    arms,   they     had   in     little  more 
than    twenty    years  converted   a   Sahara- 
like  desert    into    well    cultivated    farms, 
producing     larger     crops     to     the     acre 
than  any  eastern  state.    Neither  Utah  nor 
Salt  Lake  City  owed  any  public  debt.    He 
referred  to  the  "Cullom  bill,"  passed  at  the 
last  session,  making  polygamy  a  crime,  and 
providing   for   the  appointment  of  jurors 
who  shall  all  be  "Gentiles."     I  ventured  to 
inquire  whether  he  thought  that  law  could 
be  enforced.    But  he  was  too  shrewd  to  be 
caught,    and   was  non-committal   on  that 
point.    I  complimented  him  on  being  the 
heart  and  brains  of  his  community,  and  tha 
to  his  good  management  they  were  indebted 
for  their   wonderful  prosperity,  and  asked 
if,  in  the   course  of  nature,  he   should  be 
taken  away,  could  any  other  man  carry  his 
people  forward  as  he  had  done.    He  replied 
with  energy,  "We  are  God's  chosen  people ; 
I  am  his  servant ;  He  will  never  permit  me 
to  be  removed  until  in  His  own  good  time 
He  has  provided  another  to  take  my  place." 
After  spending  an  hour  I  rose  to  leave  and 
apologized  for   having  occupied  so  much  of 
his  time  while  others  were  waiting  to  see 
him.    He  walked  with  me  to  the  door  of 
the  outer  office,  shook  my  hand  warmly  at 
parting  and  wished  me  a  pleasant  journey 
and  a  safe  return.    He  said,  "Come  and  see 
us  again  after  you  have  been  round  the 
world." 

As  I  walked  down  the  street,  I  glanced  at 
the  buildings  inside  the  wall  which  con- 
tained the  prophet's  harem,  and  thought, 
this  is  all  fair  on  the  outside,  but  within  is 
rottenness  and  corruption.  Is  Brigham  a 
sincere  and  honest  enthusiast,  or  a  corrupt 
and  sensuous  knave?  His  cold  gray  eyes 
and  calm,  unimpassioned  manner  do  not  in- 
dicate the  fanatic ;  nor  do  the  lines  about 
his  mouth,  or  his  face  generally  seem  that 
of  a  gross  sensualist.  I  can  understand  now 
why  he  is  so  popular,  or  rather  so  wor- 
shipped among  his  followers,  He  can  read 
human  nature  and  can  adapt  himself  to  and 
make  a  favorable  impression  upon  any  one 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

I  stepped  into  a  store  to  buy  some  stereo- 
scopic views,  and  picking  up  one  of  Brig- 


20 

ham,  I  remarked  that  he  is  a  good  looking 
man.  ''Yes,"  said  the  artist  with  fervor, 
"and  he  is  just  as  good  as  he  looks." 

The  solution  of  this  Mormon  problem  is 
puzzling  wiser  heads  than  mine,  but  the  end 
is  not  far  distant.  In  the  course  of  human 
events  Brigham  cannot  live  much  longer. 
The  mantle  of  the  prophet  cannot  fall  upon 
any  other  living  Mormon.  I  trust  no  event 
will  occur  to  precipitate  a  collision  between 
the  government  and  this  people  while  he 
live?.  When  he  dies  the  bubble  will  burst. 
The  Pacific  railroads  and  the  opening  of 
new  mme3  are  drawing  crowds  to  Utah. 
The  Gentile  population  is  increasing  much 
faster  than  the  Mormon,  and  in  ten  years 
Mormonism,  or  its  accursed  feature, 
polygamy,  will  be  a  thing  of  the  past. 

W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  III. 

From  Ogden  Over  the  Central  Pacific- 
Alkali  and  Sage  Brush— The  Sierra 
Nevadas— Rounding  Cape  Horn— 
&limpse  at  the  Golden  State— San 
Francisco  Approached  at  Night- 
Aladdin's  Lamp— Hotels,  Stores  and 
Publie  Buildings  —  Churches  and 
Schools—Starr  King— The  Cliff  House 
and  the  Lions— Lone  Mountain  Cem- 
etery—Mission Dolores— The  Chinese 
—Adieu. 

San  Francisco,  Nov.  1, 1870. 
The  Central  Pacific  from  Ogden  to  Cali- 
fornia is  by  no  means  a  duplicate  of  the  Un- 
ion Pacific  from  Omaha  to  Ogden.  The 
sleeping  cars  and  eating  stations  are  inferior ; 
gold  and  silver  take  the  place  of  scrip,  and 
a  "good  square  meal"  cannot  always  be  had. 
Chinese  laborers  and  track-repairers  replace 
the  Irish.  California  fruits,  especially  pears 
and  grapes,  grow  cheaper  at  every  station, 
and  we  begin  to  realize  that  we  are  on  the 
"Western  Slope  of  the  Continent.  But  one 
train  a  day  each  way  is  run  between  Omaha 
and  San  Francisco,  which  leaves  Ogden  at 
6  pm.  We  wake  the  next  morning  in  the 
valley  of  the  Humboldt,  and  the  day  before 
us  is  perhaps  the  dreariest  and  most  un- 
uncomfortable  on  the  whole  route. 
Vast  Alkali  plains  surround  us, 
where  sage  brush  alone  grows,  and 
ot  a  drop  of  water  can  be  had  which  man 
or  beast  can  swallow.  The  ground  is  white 
with  alkali  as  if  covered  with  snow,  the  fine 
dust  penetrates  even  through  double  win- 
dows and  makes  our  hands  and  faces  feel 
sticky  and  uncomfortable.  Our  eyes  are 
slightly  inflamed  and  reading  becomes  diffi- 
cult. Water  affords  but  a  temporary  relief, 
and  a  "dry  wash"  with  a  soft  towel  is  much 
better.  Such  are  a  few  of  the  annoy?  nces  of 
the  railway  traveler,  while  dashing  over 
this  worse  than  Sahara  desert,  twenty-five 
miles  an  hour  in  a  first  class  car.  Imagine 
what  were  the  sufferings  of  the  early  emi- 
grants, hundreds  of  whom  perished  miser- 


ably  on  the  way,  overtaken  by  storms  of 
alkali  sand,  and  the  bones  of  thousands  of 
oxen  and  horses  bleach  on  these  barren 
plains. 

After  three  hundred  miles  of  sage  brush 
and  alkali,  we  commence  to  climb  tbe  Sierra 
Nevadas,  and  for  the  next  ten  hours  we 
see  results  of  engineering  skill  that  seem 
almost  marvellous.  Constantly  ascending, 
we  wind  around  the  mountains  on  narrow 
shelves  of  rock,  bri  ge  chasms  at  dizzy 
heights  on  trestle-work,  and  where  no 
other  course  is  practicable;  boldly  plunge 
through  the  hill?,  and  emerge  from  dark 
tunnels  to  dash  onward  through  the  gloom 
of  miles  of  snow-sheds,  by  which  slone  this 
route  is  kept  open  in  winter,  and  the  road 
protected  from  the  avalanches  which  sweep 
down  the  mountain  sides.  There  are  over 
fifty  miles  of  these  snow-sheds,  built  of 
heavy  timbers,  and  covered,  roof  and  side?, 
with  four-inch  planks.  They  are  somewhat 
aggravating  to  the  traveler,  as  they  cut  on 
all  view  of  the  scenery,  and  leave  him  in  a 
gloomy  twilight  which  is  neither  night  nor 
day. 

On  we  glide  past  the  summit,  and  the 
second  morning  after  leaving  Ogden  com- 
mence the  descent  of  the  "Western  slope. 
We  round  "  Cape  Horn,"  a  bold  promon- 
tory, which  juts  out  and  overhangs  a  valley 
-2,000  feet  below,  and  half  way  up  the  face 
of  the  mountain  on  a  narrow  shelf  of  rock 
the  trains  wind  round  like  some  huge 
monster,  where  but  a  few  years  ago  there 
was  not  even  a  foot  trail— a  place  well  cal- 
culated to  unsettle  the  nsrves  of  timid 
ladies.  We  pass  it  in  safety,  and  turning  to 
the  left  cress  the  valley  on  the  high  trestle 
work  bridge,  and  we  feel  inclined  to  hold 
our  breath  until  the  train  reaches  the  solid 
embankment  on  the  opposite  side  cf  the 
chasm. 

Lower  and  lower  we  go,  leaving  the 
Alpine  scenery  behind  us,  and  now,  as  if 
by  magic,  there  opens  before  us  the  beauti- 
ful valley  of  the  Sacramento.  It  is  our  first 
glimpse  of  the  uGolden  State,"  and  the  pic- 
ture is  one  long  to  be  remembered.  Pleas- 
ant farm  houses,  orchards  loaded  with  fruit, 
smiling  fields  and  fertile  meadows,  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach,  are  In  striking  contrast 
with  the  desolate  scenes  of  the  past  thirty- 
six  hours.  A  short  delay  at  Sacramenta, 
the  second  city  and  Capital  of  California, 
and  we  continue  on  to  Stockton,  near  which 
gold  was  first  discovered  in  1S48. 


Thence  through  several  western  looking 
towns,  over  the  coast  range  of  mountain!? , 
the  high  volcanic  peak  of  Monta  Diabolo, 
looming  up  3,800  feet  on  our  right— a  land- 
mark far  out  in  the  Pacific— and  just  at  dusk 
we  reached  Oakland,  the  teTminus  of  the 
railroad,  and  the  Brooklyn  of  San  Francisco. 
Here  we  are  transferred  to  a  steam  ferry 
boat,  and  crossing  over  the  broad  bay  we 
watch  with  no  little  interest  the  myriad 
lights  from  the  great  city  before  us  which 
reflected  and  doubled  in  number  on  the 
smooth  water,  stretch  from  the  wharves  high 
up  to  the  summit  of  the  hill  upon  which  the 
city  is  built.  Arriving  at  the  pier  the  rush 
of  passengers,  shouting  of  hackmen  and  om- 
nibus drivers,  and  the  general  confusion  are 
worthy  of  New  York  City.  The  streets 
through  which  we  are  driven  to  the  "Grand 
Hotel"  are  most  brilliantly  lighted.  We 
pass  block  after  block  of  splendid 
stores  where  the  plat'  glass  and  rich  dis- 
play of  wares  remind  us  of  Broadway.  On 
the  street  corners  the  large,  white  Califor- 
nia grapes  are  being  sold,  "eight  pounds  for 
a  quarter."  The  pears,  which  we  have  fre- 
quently seen  East,  but  rarely  felt  rich  enough 
to  buy,  are  here  offered  "three  for  a  dime." 
No  indication  this  of  the  high  prices  we  had 
on  the  Pacific  coast. 

I  have  heard  it  predicted  that  in  a  few 
years  this  trip  across  the  Continent  will  be- 
come as  stale  a  subject  for  description  as 
that  over  the  Alleghenies  from  Pittsburgh 
to  Philadelphia,  and  such  was  my  own  im- 
pressions before  passing  over  it.  And  now, 
perhaps,  I  owe  your  readers  an  apology 
for  occupying  so  much  space  in  trying, 
though  very  imperfectly,  to  sketch  the  sa- 
lient points  of  the  route.  The  novelty, 
beauty,  and  grandeur  of  the  scenery  can 
hardly  be  exaggerated.  One  should  return 
by  ths  same  route,  at  least  as  far  as  Chey- 
enne, to  properly  appreciate  it,  and  then  he 
will  agree  with  me  that  no  word  painting 
can  do  it  justice. 

We  reach  San  Francisco  on  Saturday 
night.  The  "China  steamer"  sails  at  noon 
on  Tuesday,  so  what  we  see  of  this  city 
which  has  grown  up  within  a  few  years  as 
if  the  genii  of  Alladin  were  the  slaves  of 
the  builders,  must  be  quickly  accomplished. 
Here  are  hotels  that  compare  favorably 
with  the  "St.  Nicholas"  or  the  "Fifth 
Avenue"— stores  on  Montgomery  street  that 
can  only  be  matched  on  Broadway.  But 
splendid  blocks,  expensive  public  buildings 
and  fine  hotels  alone  do  not  constitute  a 
3 


24 


great  and  prosperous  city.  In  churches  and 
and  schools  and  in  the  quiet  observance  of 
the  Sabbath,  San  Francisco  compares  favor- 
ably with  any  city  of  its  size  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  continent.  The  prosperity  of 
this  city  is  not  all  material.  Boston  has 
furnished  the  model  of  her  public  school 
system,  and  New  England  blood  and  train- 
ing can  be  recognized  in  many  of  her  insti- 
tutions of  charity  and  benevolence. 

On  Sunday  we  attended  the  church  found- 
ed by  Starr  King,  beside  which  he  is  buried. 
Kind  hands  still  supply  the  flowers  that 
decorate  the  grave  of  one  whose  loving 
heart  so  attached  his  friends,  and  whose 
genius  and  patriotic  labors  did  so  much  to 
save  California  to  the  Union. 

The  vicinity  of  the  city  is  full  of  places  of 
interest.  Every  stranger  is; taken  to  the 
Clifl  House  to  see  "the  lions"— here  real 
"sea  lions,"  or  Jmonster  seals,  which  seem 
half  human  as  they  splash,  gambol  and 
climb  over  the  conical  rocks  near  the  shore. 
Lone  Mountain  Cemetery  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  romantic  burial  places  in 
America— a  splendid  marble  monument  of 
tie  lamented  B Roderick  is  here  a  conspicu- 
ous object.  In  the  outskirts  of  the  city  is 
the  old  Mission  Dolores— where  for  more 
than  a  century  the  Jesuits  held  absolute 
sway  over  thousaEds  of  their  dependant  In- 
dians and  Mexicans— now  occupied  in  part 
as  a  woolen  factory.  The  "Celestials"  are 
here  an  institution— every  third  person  one 
meets  in  the  streets  wears  the  loose,  dark 
blue  blouse,  baggy  trousers,  pointed  shoes 
and  long,  braided  "pig-tail"  of  a  Chinaman. 
They  are  quiet  and  reserved  in  manner,  go 
about  their  business,  turning  neither  to  the 
right  nor  the  left.  Housekeepers  here  are 
unanimous  in  their  praise  as  servants— but 
I  will  leave  the  "Chinese  question"  for  dis- 
cussion hereafter  when  I  have  seen  them  at 
home. 

At  twelve  o'clock  the  largest  and  newest 
of  t"ie  China  steamships,  the  America,  will 
leave  her  dock.  Our  Cleveland  friends, 
Messrs.  Worthington,  Beckwith  and  Pan- 
nel,  will  come  down  and  see  ua  off.  My 
next  letter  must  be  dated  beyond  the 
"Golden  Gate,"  iar  over  the  waters  of  the 
broad  Pacific.  W.  P.  F, 


NUMBER  IV. 

Pacific  Mail  Steamers— Splendid  Ships 
—Creditable  to  America — Chinese 
Passengers— How  John  Chinaman 
Eats -Chop- Sticks  Lively  and  Useful 
Tools— Smoking  Opium— An  Invita- 
tion Declined— The  Opium  Trade- 
England's  Sbame— A  Day  Lost- 
Thrown  Oveiboard— Our  Thanks- 
giving and  Christmas  Ahead— Fusi- 
yama  Almost  in  Sight— The  First 
Glimpse  of  Asia. 

Steamship  America,  > 
November  21, 1870,  > 
N.L.30deg.  30min.,L.  158deg.24min.E  ) 
The  great  disparity  of  sur'ace  on  this 
globe  between  land  and  water  is  forced  upon 
our  minds  by  the  thought  that  we  have  now 
for  twenty -one  days  been  pu*hin»  stesdily 
westward  over  the  vast  desert  of  waters, 
and  have  Eean  neither  land  nor  sail.  Day 
after  day  is  the  same  dreary  expanse,  and 
during  the  twenty-fi^e  days  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  Japan  it  is  rarely  that  a  vessel  of 
any  kind  is  seen.  When  about  eignt  days 
out,  and  1,800  miles  from  land,  we  anxiously 
watched  for  the  smoke  of  the  eastern  bound 
steamer,  hoping  to  meet  her  and  exchange 
mails.  For  two  days  we  had  all  been  writing 
letters  full  of  last  parting  words  to  dear  ones 
at  horn?,  but  to  oar  great  disappointment  we 
missed  seeing  ber,  having  probably  passed 
during  the  night,  which  was  cloudy,  so  that 
the  smoke  or  lights  could  not  have  been 
seen  more  than  eight  or  ten  miles  away.  It 
would  ssem  surprising  that  we  had  any 
chance  to  meet  on  this  trackless  Pacific. 
Nigbt  and  day  there  has  been  no  cessation 
of  the  steady  clang  of  the  machinery,  the 
quiver  and  crackling  of  the  immense  steamer, 
as  she  pushes  westward  ten  miles  an  hour, 
never  varying  from  her  cauree,  end  regard- 
less alike  of  wind  or  ttorm.  We  have  seen 
old  Ocean  in  all  his  mo  ads— for  days  smooth 
and  glassy,  reflecting  the  bright  sun  and 
cloudless  sky  with  scarcely  a  ripple,  remind- 
ing me  of  Lake  Erie  in  midsummer.  Then 
gathering  clouds  aedthe  angry  waves  lashed 
into  fury,  tossing  our  huge  ship  to  and  fro 


like  a  cockle  shell.  "Pacific"  seemed  then 
a  misnomer  for  thU  wild  Ocean.  But  the 
steady  clang  of  the  engine  never  ceased  as 
it  pushed  our  leviathan  onward— a  triumph 
of  skill  and  brains  over  the  elements,  of 
science  over  matter. 

I  had  read  of  this  Pacific  mail  line  as  on- 
equaled  in  the  world  in  siza  of  ships,  com- 
pleteness of  appointments,  and  comfort  to 
passengers,  but  I  was  unprepared  for  such  a 
fbatind:  palace  as  the  "America"  proves  to 
be.  If  there  cm  anywhere  be  comfort  or 
even  pleasure  in  a  sea  voyage,  it  is  here. 
Our  fifty  cabin  passengers  have  more  space 
in  state  rooms  and  saloons  than  would  be 
allowed  to  two  hundred  on  a  Cunarder.  The 
table  is  supplied  with  every  delicacy  of  a 
first  class  hotel.  Vegetables  and  fruits, 
either  fresh  or  canned— beef,  mutton  and 
poultry,  were  shipped,  "on  the  hoof,"  be- 
fore leaving  port,  and  the  steward  is  saving 
the  fattest  of  turkeys  for  our  Thanksgivicg 
dinner.  The  crew,  firemen  and  waiters,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  in  number,  are  Chinese-— 
the  officers,  of  course,  being  American. 
The  captain  says  they  are  as  good  sailors  as 
the  average  of  white  men,  and  much  more 
docile  and  obedient.  They  do  not  seem  to 
me  as  strong  limbed  and  broad  chested  as 
our  Yankee  sailors  and  fishermen,  but  few 
of  these  can  be  found  in  this  section  except 
in  the  position  of  officers.  As  table  waiters 
the  Chinese  are  remarkably  quick  and 
active,  and  very  quiet.  A  glance  of  the  eye 
toward  any  dish  you  may  want  is  enough, 
they  seem  to  know  by  intuition  almost,  what 
you  require.  They  never  hand  you  a  cup  of 
tea  or  coffee  and  leave  you  to  get  the  sugar 
and  milk  as  best  you  can. 

This  line  of  steamers  consists  of  four  ships, 
the  China,  Japan,  America  and  Great  Re- 
public. The  three  first  are  in  constant  serv- 
ice, and  the  last  named  is  held  in  reserve  in 
case  ot  accidents.  They  make  one  trip  a 
month  each  way  from  San  Francisco  to 
Hong  Kong,  touching  at  Yokohama,  in  Ja- 
pan, where  they  connect  with  a  branch  line 
to  Shanghai.  They  are  allowed  a  govern- 
ment subsidy  of  half  a  million  dollars  a  year 
for  carrying  the  mails  between  these  ports. 
They  are  wooden,  side-wheel  steamers,  with 
air-tight  compartments,  built  in  New  York, 
and  cost  over  a  million  dollars  each.  They 
are  about  5,000  tons  measurement,  the 
"America,"  the  largest  and  newest,  being 
5,600  tons,  and  the  larg°st  merchant  ship 
afloat  except  the  Great  Eastern.  It  is  grat- 
ifying to  our  national  pride  that  this  line  ol 


27 

ocean  steamers,  the  only  one  we  have,  is  a 
success.  They  cannot  carry  all  the  freight 
(principally  teas)  that  is  offered  in  China 
and  Japan,  and  the  number  will  soon  be  in- 
creased so  as  to  make  semi-monthly  trips. 
These  ships  are  the  continuation  of  our  na- 
tional Pacific  railroad,  and  the  pioneers  of  a 
commerce  the  extent  of  which  we  cannot 
now  realize  between  Europe  and  Asia  across 
our  continent.  When  they  first  appeared 
in  Hong  Kong,  their  sizs  and  elegant  ac- 
commodations for  passengers  surprised  the 
English,  who  build  only  screw  ocean  steam- 
ers, and  they  predicted  that  the  first  ty  • 
phoon  they  encountered  would  send  them 
under.  But  for  four  years  they  have  run 
without  accident,  riding  out  in  safety  the 
fiercest  storms,  typhoons  and  cyclones  of  the 
Chinese  and  Pacific  seas.  Their  great  size 
and  breadth  of  beam  give  them  steadiness 
in  rough  weather,  and  also  enaoles  them  to 
carry  a  large  number  of  passengers. 

This  ship  will  accommodate  fourteen  hun- 
dred persons  in  the  steerage,  and  is  always 
full  going  east.  These  are  all  Chinese,  who 
pay  $45  each  for  passage  to  California,  there 
to  be  kicked  and  cuffed  by  the  roughs,  de- 
nied all  the  rights  which  "a  white  man  is 
bound  to  respect,"  but  economical  and  sav- 
ing in  his  habits,  patiently  enduring  in- 
sults, quiet  and  reserved  in  manners,  in  a 
few  years  he  saves  enough  of  his  earnings 
to  return  to  China  a  rich  man. 

We  have  now  on  board  seven  hundred  re- 
turning Chinamen,  each  with  his  little  for- 
tune of  two  or  three  hundred  dollars,  the 
saving  of  two  to  five  years  hard  labor  and 
exile  irom  the  "flowery  kingdom"  among 
"western  barbarians."  What  wonderful 
stories  they  will  have  to  tell  to  their  friends 
and  neighbors !  Stories  as  marvelous  as  the 
early  voyagers  four  centuries  ago,  carried 
back  from  the  far  west  to  Spain  and  Portu- 
gal. The  space  on  this  sbip  is  so  large,  and 
the  discipline  so  perfect,  that  we  see  noth- 
ing of  the  Chinese  snless  we  go  forward 
among  them.  They  occupy  the  whole  main 
deck,  400  by  50  feet  in  size,  and  also 
a  portion  of  the  upper  deck  forward.  Sev- 
eral are  pointed  out  to  me  as  wealthy  mer- 
chants of  Ssn  Francisco,  who  could  well 
afford  if  they  chose  to  pay  $300  for  cabin 
passage. 

They  are  all  neatly  dressed  and  clean  in 
personal  appearance,  and  politely  answer  in 
"pigeon  English"  all  my  questions.  The 
Chinese  are  inveterate  gamblers,  and  many 
groups  are  scattered  around  the  deck  play- 


ing  dominoes,  the  little  piles  cf  copper  coin 
indicating  the  stakes.  They  are  so  intent  on 
the  game  that  they  do  not  notice  my  stand- 
ing by  and  watching  them.  "Win- 
ning or  losing,  they  take  it  very 
philosophically,  without  loud  words  or 
quarreling.  Presently  the  gong  sounds 
for  dinner,  and  all  start  up  "eager  for  the 
fray"— for  eating,  whether  in  cabin  or  steer- 
age, is  an  important  matter  on  board  ship. 
The  700  Chinese  are  divided  into  fifty  messes 
of  fourteen  each.  Two  from  each  mess,  as 
its  number  is  called,  are  detailed  to  bring  the 
rations,  consisting  to-day  of  a  large  tin  pan 
of  boiled  rice,  another  of  beef  and  vegeta- 
bles chopped  up  into  pieces  about  an  inch 
square,  and  a  small  dish  of  pickle3  by  way 
of  relish.  Each  mes3  has,  also,  a  tin  can 
holding  about  two  gallons  of  tea.  Plscing 
the  provisions  on  the  deck,  the  mess  forms 
a  group  around,  and  each  man,  squatted  on 
his  hells,  pulls  out  his  "  chop-sticks"  and 
"  goes  in"  without  csiremony  or  saying 
grace.  The  chop- sticks  are  of  dark  wood, 
about  the  size  of  a  penholder  or  lead  pencil, 
but  longer,  a?  d  are  held  between  the  thumb 
and  two  first  finsers  of  the  right  band.  This 
is  the  "  knife  and  forS  "  of  nearly  one  half 
of  the  human  race,  and  it  is  a  curious  sight 
to  watch  with  what  dexterity  they  are  ena- 
bled by  habit  and  practice  to  use  them. 
Holding  them  like  a  pair  of  tongs  they  can 
pick  up  the  smallest  kernels  cf  rice  and 
transfer  them  to  the  mouth  as  rapidly  as  we 
could  accomplish  the  same  by  the  use  of  a 
table  spoon.  Besides  chop-sticks,  each  one 
is  provided  with  a  small  bowl,  which  he 
fills  with  re?,  and,  holding  near  his  mouth 
with  his  left  hand,  its  contents  are  speedily 
transferred  down  his  throat.  This  exercise 
is  varied  by  an  occasional  dive  with  the- 
chop  sticks  into  the  dish  of  meat  and  the 
transfer  of  a  choice  bit  to  accompany  the 
rice  in  its  downward  course.  Wo  to  the 
slow  eater  in  this  crowd,  if  any  there  be ! 
The  typical  American  who  bolts  his  dinner 
in  five  minutes  at  a  railway  eating  house, 
using  knife  and  fork  indiscriminately,  is 
slow  compared  with  John  Chicaman,  armed 
with  his  two  bits  of  wood.  The  pan  of 
lice  is  soon  empty  and  is  refilled  as:  many 
times  as  desired,  and  the  quantity  of  rice 
these  people  can  eat  when  the  supply  is  un- 
stinted is  wonderful.  At  last  the  (ichop' 
stick  exercise"  flags,  the  last  kernel  of  rice 
and  scrap  of  meat  has  disappeared.  With  a 
sigh  of  regret  at  the  transitory  nature  of  all 
human  happiness,  John  carefully  wipes  his 


29 

"tools"  and  stores  them  away  in  his  poctet 
for  future  use.  In  the  meantime  the  can  of 
tea  has  remained  uniasted,  for  the  Chinese 
never  drink  while  eating.  And  now  he 
closes  his  repast  with  several  bowls  full  of 
tea,  of  course,  without  milk  or  sugar,  then 
he  smokes  his  cigar  or  pipe  with  all  the 
gusto  inspired  by  a  well  filled  s'omach. 
These  ships  are  very  liberal  in  the  food  pro- 
vided far  the  steerage,  the  quantity  being 
unstinted,  and  the  quality  much  superior  to 
the  average  fare  of  the  Chinese  at  home  or 
in  California ;  and  yet  the  cost  [of  boarding 
them  for  the  thirty  days  trip  is  less  than 
five  dollars  each. 

In  the  centre  of  the  forward  deck  I  notice 
a  temporary  room  of  thick  canvas,  about 
eight  feet  square,  on  the  door  of  which  is  an 
inscription  in  Chinese.  Upon  inquiry  I  am 
told  with  a  grin  on  the  face  of  my  informant 
that  it  is  the  "Opium  smoking  room."  He 
opens  the  door  and  I  glance  inside.  At  first 
it  seems  dark,  the  only  light  being  from  a 
small  lamp  upon  the  floor,  beside  which  is  a 
box  about  half  as  large  as  a  sardine  can, 
which  contains  the  drug  prepared  for  use. 
There  are  three  or  four  persons  in  the  room, 
squatted  on  a  floor  or  reclining  on  a  bench 
in  various  stages  cf  intoxication.  One  of 
them,  with  a  silly  smile  on  his  cadaverous 
face,  holds  up  a  pipe  and  invites  me  to  take 
a  whiff.  I  decline  and  beat  a  hasty  retreat, 
tor  the  air  of  the  place  is  so  loaded  with 
mephivic  vapors  that  a  few  minutes  stay 
would  have  overcome  my  senses.  The  pipe 
used  for  smoking  opium  is  quite  different 
from  that  ordinarily  used  for  tobacco.  It  is 
of  bamboo,  as  large  in  diameter  as  a  flute, 
and  two-thirds  as  long.  About  three  inches 
from  one  end  is  a  small  bowl,  in  which  the 
drug  i3  placed,  which  is  of  the  color  and 
consistency  of  tar.  A  small  quantity  being 
put  in  the  bowl,  it  is  held  in  the  lamp  while 
from  the  other  end  of  the  pipe  the  fumes 
are  drawn  into  the  lungs  and  then  slowly 
ejected  through  the  nostrils.  The  intoxica- 
tion, unlike  that  from  alcohol,  produces  no 
howling  maniacs,  but  lulls  its  victims  to 
dreams  of  bliss  from  which  he  wakes  to 
horrors  worse  than  delirium  tremens, 
which  can  only  be  assuaged  by  another  in- 
dulgence and  another  descent  into  his  infer- 
nal paradise.  The  habit  once  contracted,  it 
is  next  to  impossible  to  break  off,  and  the 
miserable  victim,  possessed,  as  the  Chinese 
say,  by  an  "opium  devil,"  becomes  imbecile 
in  mind  and  thoroughly  demoralized  body 
and  soul,  is  speedily  carried  to  a  worse  than 


30 

prunkard's  grave.  The  cost  of  opium  is  so 
great  that  but  few  of  the  very  poor  class  can 
afford  to  U3e  it.  The  Chinese  authorities 
have  used  every  effort  to  stop  its  sale,  but 
the  British  government,  to  afford  a  market 
for  the  opium  of  India,  has  forced  the  ac- 
cursed drug  upon  the  Chinese  at  the  can- 
non's mouth.  Tbe  Emperor  of  China,  when 
asked  to  licenbe  its  sale,  replied  in  words 
that  should  mantle  the  cheek  of  every  Eng- 
lishman with  shame.  "It  is  true,"  said  he, 
"that  I  cannot  prevent  the  introduction  of 
the  flowing  poison.  Gain-seeking  and  cor- 
rupt men  will,  for  profit  and  sensuality,  de- 
feat my  wishes,  but  nothing  will  induce  me 
to  derive  a  revenue  for  the  vice  and  mis- 
ery of  my  people."  So  Christian  England 
deals  with  heathen  China! 

On  Monday.  14th  of  November,  we 
passed  the  180 th  meridian  from  Greenwich, 
and  were  just  half  round  the  world  from 
London.  At  this  time  my  watch— set  in 
Cleveland— was  eight  hours  too  fast,  and 
when  the  dinner  gong  sounded  at  five 
o'clock,  it  was  one  o'clock  at  night  in 
Cleveland  and  five  a.  m.  in  England.  It 
makes  one  feel  that  he  is  indeed  far  away 
when  his  noon  lunch  or  "tiffin"  comes  at 
the  moment  when  his  friends  are  seated 
round  the  evening  lamp  in  that  quiet  room 
at  home  to  which  his  mind  so  fondly  turns. 
But  to  U3  the  day  following  Monday,  the 
14th,  was  "Wednesday,  16th  of  November. 
Tuesday,  the  loth,  was  an  unknown  day  — 
dropped  in  the  bosom  of  the  Pacific  ocean. 
This  will  make  our  calendar  agree  with  that 
of  China  and  the  East  Indias,  who  have 
taken  theirs  from  the  Europeans  coming 
eastward  round  the  world.  We  are  now 
eleven  hours  ahead  of  London  and  fifteen 
ahead  of  Cleveland.  In  a  few  days  we  shall 
eat  our  five  o'clock  Thanksgiving  diDr.er 
long  before  daylight  on  the  lake  shore,  and 
my  Christmas  at  Shanghai  will  be  thirteen 
and  a  half  hours  ahead  of  Cleveland.  The 
day  lost  is  past  recovery  to  us  who  go  on 
round  the  world,  but  it  will  be  picked  up 
by  the  steamer  on  her  return,  and  if  she 
should  pass  the  180th  meridian  on  Sunday, 
the  25th  of  December,  her  passengers  will 
have  two  Sundays  in  that  week  and  a  du- 
plicate Christmas  for  1870. 

I  can  only  wish  them  as  pleasant  weather 
and  as  agreeable  a  ship's  company  as  we 
have  been  favored  with.  On  Thursday  we 
expect  to  sight  Fusiyama,  the  "happy 
mountain"  of  Japan,  whose  volcanic  peair, 
rising  14  000  feet  above  the  sea  will  be  the 
first  object  to  meet  our  gaze  in  Asia. 

W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  FIVE. 

A  Pleasant  Sunday— The  Pacific,  Uult 
Stream  and  What  tame  of  It— A 
Typhoon— Frightful  Scenes  on  Ship- 
Cyclones  Ahead  of  Hatteras— Peru- 
vian Repentant —The  Dangers  Over- 
All's  Well  That  Ends  Well— A  Bright 
Morning-  After  the  Gale— Good  Itesoiu 
tions Forgotten— A  Genuine  Thanks- 
giving. 

Steamship  America. 
Thanksgiving  Day,  Nov.  24, 1870 
Lat.  32,  55.,  LON.  142,  57. 
Our  third  and  last  Sunday  on  the  America 
was  a  very  pleasant  one.  We  had  on  board 
three  missionaries  who  were  returning  with 
their  families  after  a  briet  absence  to  the 
ecenes  of  their  labors— one  to  Yokohama, 
one  to  China,  and  the  other  to  India.  As 
usual,  we  had  religious  services  in  the  mai  i 
saloon  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  evening 
Rev.  Dr.  Scudder  gave  us  a  very  interesting 
lecture  on  India.  The  weather  was  de- 
lightful, a  bright  sun  at- d  a  cloudless  sky, 
the  sea  as  smooth  as  an  inland  lake,  and  the 
air  as  warm  as  a  September  day  at  home.  In 
four  days  more  we  expected  to  sight  Japan. 
But,  as  our  Scotch  friends  say,  "The  best 
laid  plans  of  mice  and  men  aft  gang  agloe." 

On  Monday  night  we  were  within  eight 
hundred  miles  of  Yokohama,  in  the  edge  of 
that  current  of  warm  water  which  corre  - 
sponds  with  the  uGulf  Stream"  of  the  At- 
lantic—here as  there  the  fruitful  source  of 
typhoons,  cyclones  and  hurricanes.  This 
current,  which  is  supposed  by  some  savans 
to  have  its  origin  in  submarine  volcanoes 
south  of  the  Island  of  Formosa,  sweeps 
thence  along  the  coast  of  Japan,  through 
tha  North  Pacific  to  the  Aleutian  Island?, 
then  over  to  the  coast  of  California,  down 
which  it  follows  until  lost  in  the  warm  seas 
about  the  equator.  The  day  had  been  warm 
and  sultry,  with  occasional  snowers,  but 
the  barometer  had  indicated  no  storm  brew- 
ing, until  at  ten  o'clock  it  dropped  in  forty 
minutes  from  29-80  to  28-G8,  S3  sudden 
a  fall  boded  U3  no  good,  and  our  vigilant 
captain  at  once  prepared  for  one  of  those 


32 


terrific  storms,  cilled  typhoons  or  cyclones, 
p°culiar  to  the  east  coast  of  Asia,  and  the 
dread  of  all  navigators  in  these  waters. 

Within  less  than  an  hour  from  the  first 
premonition  it  struck  the  ship,  the  tremen- 
dous force  ot  the  wind  throwing  her  in- 
stantly almost  upon  her  beam  end*.  I  had 
retired  early  and  was  rudely  awakened  by 
being  pitched  out  of  my  berth,  and  with 
trunk  and  other  looss  article?,  shot  over  to 
the  lee  side  of  my  state  room.  Fortunately 
the  room  was  small  so  that  I  did  not  have 
far  to  go.  Hastily  dressing  I  managed  with 
some  difficulty  to  open  the  door  leading  to 
the  main  saloon,  and  Ihsre  the  sight  was 
truly  appalling.  The  skylights  had  all  been 
dashed  in,  chairs  and  everything  moveable 
were  sweeping  to  and  Iro  acro?s  the  room, 
the  floor  was  covered  with  broken  glass 
from  the  racks  over  the  tables,  the  lamps 
wf,re  all  extinguished,  the  howling  of  the 
wind  and  dashing  of  the  rain  and  spray 
through  the  open  sky  lights,  the  lurid  glare 
of  th^  lightning  which  seemed  one  inces- 
sant flash,  made  up  the  mo3t  frightlul  scene 
I  ever  witnessed.  But  more  startling  than 
all  this  were  the  shrieks  of  some  of  the 
ladies  who  had  rashed  half-clad  from  their 
rooms,  and  losing  a'l  presence  of  mind  at 
every  lurch  of  the  ship  uttered  most  heart- 
rending screams. 

My  experience  of  storms  oil'  Cape  Hatte- 
ras,  and  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  was  nothing 
compared  with  a  typhoon  in  the  Chinese 
sea.  Every  few  minutes  a  heavy  wave 
would  strike  the  ship,  dash  the  water  ever 
the  top  of  the  cabins,  and  as  it  thundered 
against  the  guards  our  staunch  vessel  would 
quiver  and  tremble  as  if  going  to  pieces. 

Being  high  up  out  of  the  water  the  wind 
had  a  tremendous  sweep  against  her  cabins 
and  paddle  boxes.  But  she  was  very  strong- 
ly built,  and  having  one  thousand  tons  less 
coal  on  board  than  when  she  left  San  Fran- 
cisco was  very  buoyant ;  her  machinery  was 
strong,  and  her  officers  all  thorough  seamen. 
Every  man  was  at  his  post,  and  when  Cap- 
tain Doane  came  down  and  spoke  a  few 
cheerful  words  to  the  affrighted  passengers 
the  panic  subsided.  By  his  direction  the 
ladies  and  children  were  removed  for  greater 
safety  to  a  small  cabin  on  the  lower  deck, 
in  case  the  upper  works  should  be  carried 
away.  After  the  first  fright  was  over  tbe 
passengers  became  quiet  and  t-clf-possesscd. 
The  course  of  this  storm  was  from  South- 
west to  Northeast,  an  J  it  moved  with  great 
rapidity,  probably  three  hundred  miles  an 


33 


hour.  ThcBe  typhoons  are  circular  and 
perhaps  a  mile  or  more  in  diameter.  In 
half  an  hour  we  had  passed  through  the 
outer  rim  into  the  center,  acd  for  about 
twenty  minutes  there  was  a  lull  of  the  wind, 
although  the  » a  was  running  very  high. 
Then  as  we  again  approached  the  edge  of 
the  cyclone  it  struck  the  ship  with  increased 
fury  from  the  opposite  direction.  This  was 
the  crisis  of  the  storm.  For  a  few  minutes 
we  lay  in  a  trough  of  the  sea,  and  before 
steerage  way  could  be  got  on  the  vessel  she 
shipped  several  heavy  teas,  which  tore  up 
the  guards  around  the  paddle  boxes,  demol- 
ished the  bath  rooms  and  cattle  pens,  dashed 
one  of  the  sailors  from  the  upper  deck,  in- 
juring him  so  severely  that  the  poor  fellow 
died  the  next  day.  Any  accident  at  this 
moment  to  the  machinery  would  have  been 
fatal  to  the  ship.  She  would  have  become  a 
wreck  and  foundered  in  spite  of  the  most 
skillful  seamanship.  No  small  boat  could 
lve  for  a  moment  or  even  be  launched  in 
such  a  gale. 

We  clung  to  the  positions  we  had  taken 
in  the  upper  cabin  and  main  deck,  and  for 
a  while  we  held  our  breath,  waiting  for 
what  was  to  come  next.  Such  was  the 
noise  of  the  wind  and  banging  against  the 
ship  of  the  waves,  that  we  could  not  tell 
whether  the  engines  had  stopped  or  not. 
The  Chinese  passengers  had  been  securely 
fastened  below,  lest  they  should  rush  on 
deck  in  a  panic  and  do  some  mischief.  To 
say  that  at  such  a  time  I  was  not  alarmed, 
would  be  idle  bravado ;  at  all  events  I  kept 
quiet  and  held  on,  and  thought  what  a  fool 
I  had  been  to  put  myself,  without  any  good 
excuse,  in  such  a  position.  Evei  then  I 
could  not  help  laughing  at  a  comical  scene 
within  a  few  feet  of  where  I  was  standing. 
Among  our  passengers  was  a  Peruvian,  of 
very  gentlemanly  appearance  and  excess- 
ively polite  manners,  who  was  on  his  way 
to  China  to  purchase  a  cargo  of  coolies.  He 
was  now  the  worst  frightened  man  on  the 
ship.  He  fell  on  his  knees,  and,  crossing 
himself,  muttered  his  long  neglected  prayers 
in  Spanish  to  the  Holy  Virgin  and  all  the 
saints  in  the  Romish  calendar. 

But  the  engines  moved  steadily  or,  al- 
though at  times  one  of  the  paddle-boxes 
would  be  completely  under  water,  so  that 
the  strain  upon  the  shafts  was  feariul.  In 
the  meantime,  while  the  gale  was  at  its 
height,  one  of  the  boats  and  all  the  settees 
upper  deck  had  broken  loose  from  their 
fastenings,  and  were  dancing  a  lively  jig 


34 


over  cur  heads  before  they  finally  chassaed 
into  the  ocean. 

About  three  o'clock  the  Captain  came 
down  and  assured  us  that  the  danger  was 
over,  although  it  was  yet  very  rough,  as 
we  had  passed  through  the  outer  rim  of 
the  cyclone,  and  most  of  the  passengers  re* 
turned  to  their  rooms  to  find  everything  in 
confusion,  and  their  bedding  and  clothes 
soaking  wet.  This,  however,  we  cared 
very  little  for.  I  threw  myself,  in  my  wet 
clothing,  upon  the  sofa,  and  in  half  an  hour 
was  iast  asleep. 

The  next  morning  the  gun  shone  bright 
and  clear,  and  as  we  gathered  in  the  saloon 
to  a  late  breakfast  we  were  a  hard  looking 
set.  Everybody  shook  hands  with  every- 
body else,  and  each  had  his  or  her  personal 
experience  to  relate.  The  events  of  the 
night  before  seemed  like  a  horrible  dream. 
But  the  bruises  some  of  us  had  received,  the 
head3  of  some  of  the  waiters  cut  in  falling 
against  tables  and  over  chairs,  the  pmashed 
bulwarks  and  battered  guard?,  and  the  stains 
of  the  salt  spray  to  the  very  top  of  the 
smokestack,  were  evidence  that  our  expe- 
rience of  a  typhoon  had  been  real.  The  cap- 
tain said  that  in  his  twenty-three  year's  ex- 
perience he  had  never  seen  a  harder  blow, 
although  fortunately  for  us  it  was  of  short 
duration.  Our  Peruvian  was  especially  de- 
monstrative in  his  congratulations.  If  he 
made  any  good  resolutions  in  the  hour  of 
peril  to  let  the  poor  Coolies  alone,  I  fear 
he  has  since  forgotten  them,  for  I  overheard 
him  yesterday  discussing  with  another  pas- 
senger the  chances  of  getting  a  cargo. 

To-day  is  Thanksgiving,  and  to  us  it  is 
an  occasion  of  genuine  heartfelt  thanksgiv- 
ing and  gratitude  to  Almighty  God  for  the 
dangers  we  have  escaped,  and  we  need  no 
fat  turkeys  nor  sparkling  champagne  to 
give  fervor  to  our  thanks.  "W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  SIX. 


Arrival    in    Japan— Bay    of   Yeddo— 
Junk's  and  Fishing  Boats— Harbor  of 
Yokohama— No  Hacks,  But  Fat  and 
Jolly    Porters  — A    Good    European 
Hotel— Situation  of  Yokohama  — A 
Former  American  Consul   Disgraces 
His     Country— Bettos     or   Grooms— 
Their    Unique    Dress  — Out     For    a 
Walk— Japanese    Group— How  They 
Are     Dressed— A    Paradise    of   Ba- 
bies—Married Women  Sacrifice  Their 
Beauty— A  Pair  of  Moos-mies— A  Jac- 
onin— Street  Performers— Porters  and 
and  Coolies— Ohaio  and  Saionara. 
Yokohama,  Japan,  Dec.  1, 1870. 
On  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  November 
I  was  awakened  by  a  rapping  at  the  door  of 
my  room  on  the  America,  and  recognized 
the  voice  of  my  friend,  the  Consul  at  Swa- 
tow,  saying,  "Come  out  and  see  Japan ;  it 
is  in  plain  sight,  right  before  us."    In  a  few 
minutes  I  was  on  deck,  and  no  one,  unless 
he  has  been  for  twenty-five  days  without 
seeing  land  or  even  a  sail,  can  appreciate 
our  delight  as  we  gazed  on  the  scene.    We 
were  approaching  the  entrance  of  the  Bay 
of  Yeddo,  which  very  much  resembles  the 
"Narrows"  at  New  York.  The  high  wooded 
hills  in  front  were  dotted  with  small  houses, 
looking  very  cosy,  surrounded  with  ever- 
greens and  fruit  trees ;  on  our  left  were  sev- 
eral conical-shaped  mountains  rising  out  of 
the  water,  some  of  which  were  extinct  vol- 
canoes; all  around  us  were  fleets  of  junks 
and  fishing  boats,  manned  by  a    strange 
race,  dark-skinned,  bare-headed,  with  no  su- 
perabundance of  clothing,  who  watched  our 
steamer  as  she  glided  by  with  even  greater 
curiosity  than  we  looked  at  their   queer 
craft,  outlandish  and  clumsy  as  if  modeled 
from  Noah's  Ark.    The  sun  was  not  yet 
above  the  horizon ;  but,  through  an  occa- 
sional rift  in  the    clouds  which  obscured 
Fusiyama,  we  could  see  the  gilding  of  the 
snow-covered  cone  of  this  "Matchless  Moun- 
tain," which  forms  the  background  of  every 
Japanese  landscape.    Attracted  by  so  many 
strange  sights  we  lingered  on  deck  even 


36 


after  the  gong  had  called  us  to  our  last  meal 
on  the  ship,  for  at  eleven  o'clock  we  expect- 
ed to  reach  Yokohama  twenty  miles  up 
this  beautiful  bay. 

Trunks  are  packed  and  baggage  put  in 
older  for  shore,  stovepipe  hats  replace  the 
wideawakes  and  Scotch  caps,  which  have 
seen  service  on  ship  board,  and  after  break- 
fast all  are  gathered  on  the  upper  deck  as 
we  pass  the  light  ship  -nd  carefully  thread 
cur  way  through  the  fleet  of  foreign  ships 
anchored  in  front  of  the  city.  Besides  the 
eight  war  vessels,  two,  each,  of  French, 
American,  British  and  German,  there  are 
now  in  this  port  over  fifty  sailing  ships 
and  fifteen  steamers,  representing  every 
maritime  nation  in  the  world.  The  gun  is 
fired,  the  anchor  dropped,  and  the  wheels 
stop  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  San 
Francisco. 

Trim  looking  boats  come  along  side  from 
the  different  men-of-war  for  letters  and 
papers,  for  we  bring  ten  days  later  news 
from  the  seat  of  war  in  Europe.  We  rec- 
ognize the  tricolored  flag,  and  notice  the 
disappointed  locks  of  the  French  officer 
when  told  of  the  surrender  of  Metz.  The 
steward  and  waiters  are  especially  polite 
thi3  morning  and  have  an  expectant  air  as 
they  help  us  off  with  our  baggage.  We  go 
ashore  in  a  Japanese  boat  which  lands  us  at 
the  custom  house  pier,  where  we  submit 
our  trunks  to  the  inspection  of  the  officials, 
two-sworded  men,  in  semi-European  uni- 
form, wearing  no  hats,  but  sometimes  car  - 
rying  one  UEder  the  arm.  They  are  very 
civil,  and  take  our  word  that  we  have  noth- 
ing subject  to  duty,  which  may  be  a  rash 
statement,  as  we  profess  to  know  little 
about  Japan  "  tariffs."  A  crowd  of  cool- 
ies surround  us.  each  eager  for  the  job  of 
carrying  our  baggage  to  the  International 
Hotel.  These  fellows  are  both  diity  and 
ragged— if  the  latter  term  is  possible,  in 
view  of  the  small  amount  of  clothing  they 
wear— but  they  are  faithful  and  honest,  fat 
and  jolly,  and  satisfied  with  what  seems 
to  us  very  trifling  compensation  for  their 
labor. 

Yokohama  is  situated  on  the  south  shore 
of  the  bay  of  Yeddo,  and  contains  about  35,- 
000  inhabitants.  It  is  one  of  the  four  ports 
open  to  foreigners,  and  has  nearly  all  the 
export  trade  of  Japan.  Along  the  Bund 
facing  the  harbor  are  the  foreign  commer- 
cial houses,  mostly  twe  stories  high,  built 
of  stone,  and  many  oi  them  enclosed  in  sub- 
stantial   stone    walls.      Each  erclosure  is 


;;? 


called  a  Compound,  and  contains  an  elegant 
residence  surrounded  by  shrubbery,  ware- 
houses or  go-downs,  offices,  &c.  Other 
streets  parallel  with  the  Bund,  extend  back 
for  some  distance,  and  are  occupied  by  the 
European  retail  dealers.  Separated  by  a 
large  canal  on  the  ea3t  are  the  heights,  an 
aristccratic  quarter,  where  the  foreign  min- 
isters reside,  and  also  some  of  the  wealth- 
iest merchants.  Back  of  the  European  town 
and  adjoining  it  on  the  west,  is  the  native 
quarter,  full  of  curio  shops,  where  Japan- 
ese life  and  manners  can  be  seen,  and  a 
place  especially  interesting  to  strangers. 
There  are  only  about  twelve  hundred  for- 
eign residents  here,  one  half  of  whom  are 
English ;  perhaps  two  hundred  American? , 
and  the  balance  French  and  German.  jK^n- 
agawa  is  a  large  native  town  twomilea  frcm 
here,  and  was  by  the  treaty  <rf  the!  port  to 
be  opened  to  foreigners  in  1860.  But  the 
government,  in  accordance  with  its  policy 
to  keep  foreigners  distinct  from  the  Japan- 
ese, laid  out  the  town  of  Yokohama  on  the 
low,  inarehy  shore  of  the  bay,  isolated  it 
from  the  main  land  by  canals,  filled  up  the 
marsh  from  the  adjoining  hills,  built  exten- 
sive piers  of  granite,  a  large  custom  house, 
and  gave  the  land  without  charge  for  con- 
sulates, warehouses  and  stores.  Its  location 
is  much  better  for  harbor  facilities  than 
Kanagawa,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a 
ong  causeway,  and  it  can  be  more  easily 
defended  in  case  cf  disturbance.  At  that 
time  the  exclusion  policy  of  the  Yeduo  gov- 
"ernment  was  gradually  giving  way,  but  a 
strong  party  in  the  country  was  bitterly  op- 
posed to  the  foreigners  and  had  to  be  concil- 
iated. By  making  the  foreign  settlement  an 
island  the  government  could  say  that  no 
Aliens  had  been  allowed  a  dwelling  place 
in  Nippon,  and  the  letter  of  the  unrepealed 
law  against  the  admission  of  "barbarian s" 
was  evaded. 

After  securing  comfortable  quarters  at 
the  European  hotel,  let  us  go  out  for  a  walk. 
Holding  a  horse  in  front  of  the  hotel  is  a 
betto,  or  groom.  He  wears  neither  coat 
nor  pants,  but  his  clothing  is  elaborate,  and 
is  easily  washed,  and  certainly  is  a  perfect 
fit.  It^consists  of  a  very  narrow  Bgirdie 
and  suit  of  tattooing,  the  colors  being  red 
aud  blue.  On  his  back  is  a  frightful  dragon 
with  his  tail  curled  around  under  the  betto's 
arm.  Nondescript  monsters,  and  curious 
designs  of  tigers,  lions  and  human  figures 
cover  nearly  his  whole  body,  and  he  is  evi- 
dently gratified  at   my  admiration   of  his 


unique  dress.  It  may  be  said  that  be  ia 
"scantily  dressed  but  decently  painted." 
Toe  custom  is  said  to  have  originated  with 
the  fishermen,  who  being  much  employed 
ia  the  water,  imagined  that  in  this  way 
they  could  frighten  away  sharks.  As,  how- 
ever, this  beautifying  struck  the  fancy  of 
the  bettos,  it  was  next  adopted  by  them 
from  motives  of  vanity.  These  bettos  al- 
ways run  alongside  of  horsemen  and  in  front 
of  carriages  when  out  for  a  drive  or  on  a 
journey.  They  have-  wonderful  power  of 
endurance,  and  will  keep  up  with  a  fast 
trotting  horse  without  apparent  fatigue. 

Walking  down  the  nicely  swept  street, 
past  the  custom  house,  we  come  to  a  large 
compound  where  the  British  flag  is  flying. 
This  is  their  Consulate,  and  a  high  stone 
wall  encloses  several  acres.  A  red-coated 
soldier  stands  in  the  doorway  ef  a  large 
building  containing  the  dwelling  and  offices 
of  the  Consul.  A  friend  points  out  to  me  a 
large  tree  inside  the  wall,  called  "the  treaty 
oak.;'  Here  the  treaty  with  Commodore 
Perry  was  signed  in  1854.  As  an  Ameri- 
can, I  am  ashamed  to  say  that  this  piece  of 
land,  which  is  the  most  desirable  in  Yoko- 
hama, after  being  assigned  fcr  our  Consu- 
late, was  sold  for  seven  tnousacd  dollars  to 
the  English  and  the  money  put  in  the  Con- 
sul's pocket.  The  American  Consulate  was 
pushed  back  on  to  a  small  piece  of  land  in 
the  rear,  and  is  not  even  the  property  of 
the  United  States. 

A  short  distance  further  and  we  come 
to  a  broad  street  which  separates  the  foreign 
from  the  native  town.  Here  is  a  group  of 
men  and  womsnof  the  laboring  class.  Their 
dress  is  very  n\uch  alike  in  cut,  as  well  as 
color,  which  is  generally  sombre.  The 
broad  sleeves  of  their  outer  garments,  which 
are  sewed  up  half  way,  serve  as  pockets. 
They  all  wear  straw  sandals  on  their  feet, 
but  no  covering  for  their  heads.  Their  hair 
is  universally  black,  the  heads  of  the  men 
being  partially  shaved,  and  the  hair  drawn 
up  and  tied  in  a  little  cue  on  the  top.  The 
women  wear  their  hair  most  elaborately 
dressed  in  waves  and  bands,  with  bright- 
colored  skewers  for  hair  pins.  More  than 
half  the  women  in  the  street  have  babies  in 
their  arms,  or  slung  at  their  backs,  whose 
heads,  shaved  in  fantastic  patterns,  look 
very  comical  peeping  over  their  mother's 
shoulders.  The  race  is  undoubtedly  pro- 
lific, and  Japan  must  be  a  paradise  of  babies. 
Here  we  meet  a  woman  of  the  better  class 
— perhap3  some   shopkeeper's   wife.    That 


so 


she  is  married  is  evident,  for  every  hair  is 
plucked  from  her  eyebrows,  and  her  teeth 
are  varnished  jet  black.  Theee  are  the  dis- 
tinguishing marks  of  married  women,  and 
are  said  to  have  been  originally  adopted  by 
the  wife  of  the  Emperor  many  hundred 
years  ago,  as  a  sacrifice  cffared  on  the  shrine 
of  conjugal  fidelity,  she  having  thus  de- 
stroyed her  beauty  to  prove  the  abserce  of 
ail  wish  or  design  to  captivate  admirers  1 
It  seems  to  me  that  it  was  making  the  hus- 
band pay  rather  dear,  although  it  doubtless 
fully  answered  the  purpose.  But  the  fash- 
ion set  by  the  wife  of  the  Emperor  of  Ja- 
pan five  hundred  years  ago  was  universally 
adopted  and  remains  to  this  day,  in  perma- 
nancy  quite  different  from  the  fashions  sat 
by  the  late  Empress  of  France. 

In  all  countries  the  appearance  of  the 
female  population  *M  interesting  to  the 
stranger.  This  is  espscially  true  in  the 
East;  the  status  accorded  to  them,  and  their 
treatment  by  the  "lords  of  creation,"  dif- 
fering so  widely  lrom  what  is  seen  in  west- 
ern lands.  In  some  eastern  countries  Jardly 
any  females  are  seen  out  ot  doors,  and  those 
who  are  visible  are  only  of  the  poorer  class. 
la  few  of  them  is  the  freedom  allowed  equal 
to  that  enjoyed  by  the  sterner  sex.  But  in 
Japan,  although  the  wives  and  daughters  of 
the  aristocracy  'are  seldom  seen,  all  other 
classes  of  women  enjoy  perfect  liberty, 
Women  and  girls  are  met  with— shopping, 
walking,  or  visiting— in  numbers  hardly  in 
ferior  to  the  men,  and  their  nice,  tidy,  mod- 
est demeanor  is  remarkable.  Their  peculiar 
dress— perhaps  it  is  the  absence  of  crinoline 
—at  first  seems  unbecoming,  and  the  awk- 
ward, shuffling  gait,  producsd  by  their  high 
wooden  pattens,  i3  anything  but  graceful, 
But  it  is  the  "fashion  of  the  country"  and 
as  the  eye  becomes  accustomed  to  them  tho 
females  convey  a  very  pleasiog  impressior, 
both  in  appearance  and  manner. 

Here  come  two  girls  nicely  dressed,  of 
the  respectable  middle  class.  One  is  carry- 
ing an  umbrella  of  bamboo,  which  are  made 
here  very  light  and  cheap,  and  universally 
used  as  a  sunshade,  as  well  as  for  protection 
again3train.  Their  teeth  are  very  white, 
their  complexion  light  as  Octoroons,  their 
robes  are  of  fine,  dark-colored  materia!, 
which  is  relieved  by  the  large,  bright-col- 
ored sashes  worn  around  the  waist,  This, 
with  the  Japan  lady,  13  the  article  of  drcsu 
par  excellence.  It  is  called  the  Obi,  and  is 
always  of  the  finest  texture  that  her  means 
will  afford.  It  is  tied  in  a  very  large  knot 
5 


40 


behind,  and  falls  in  a  neat  fold  about  half  a 
yard  from  the  waist.  These  young  ladies 
are  chatting  together  bo  lively  about  their 
beaux,  perhaps,  that  they  do  not  even 
glance  at  us,  while  behind  them  are  follow- 
ing two  little  girls,  or  moosmies,  about 
eight  years  old,  and  evidently  sisters. 
I  notice  that  their  shoes,  or  pattens, 
are  highly  polished  with;  lacquer  round 
the  sides,  and  the  sandals  by  which  they 
are  held  by  the  toes  to  the  foot  are  neatly 
covered  with  red  velvet.  Their  eyes  are 
black  and  sparkling  with  fun,  and  they  are 
really  very  attractive  and  pretty.  In  pass- 
ing one  of  them  looked  at  us  who  were 
watching  her  so  closely,  and  made  eome  re- 
mark  to  her  sister,  which  pleased  them  im- 
mensely. Perhaps  they  were  laughing  at 
our  funny  looking  European  dress  and  hands 
covered  with  gloves,  which  by  them  are 
never  worn. 

But  here  comes  a  very  important  person 
age,  in  bis  own  estimation.  He  is  Yaconin 
and  a  government  employe.  He  puts  on 
much  the  same  airs  as  persons  sometimes  as- 
sume in  civilized  lands  when  "dressed  in  a 
little  brief  authority."  His  rank  is  shown 
by  the  two  swords,  one  very  long  and  one 
short,  which  are  stuck  through  his  girdle. 
His  wide  trousers  are  made  of  silk,  which 
can  only  be  worn  by  men  of  his  rank ;  his 
tunic  is  semi-European  in  cut,  a  sort  of 
Raglan.  He  wears  no  hat  and  has  adopted 
the  innovation  of  letting  his  hair  grow  like 
a  foreigner.  His  countenance  shows  that 
he  is  proud  and  overbearing.  It  is  likely 
that  he  can  be  genial  in  his  manner  toward 
his  equals,  but  the  common  people  sur- 
rounding him  in  the  street,  honest,  indus- 
trious and  polite,  as  they  are,  he  regards  as 
scum.  The  tradesman  here  bows  very  low 
to  an  officer,  and  should  he  meet  a  Daimio, 
or  one  of  higher^the  officer  bows  as  low  in 
turn.  Such  is  fhe  custom  of  the  country. 
The  Yaconin  glances  at  us,  but  we  look  him 
square  in  the  eye  without  flinching,  as  an 
"American  sovereign"  should,  and  he  bows 
politely,  which  we  return  with  equal  ci- 
vility. 

As  we  walk  back  a  group  of  little  urch- 
ins, street  performers,  wearing  caps  deco- 
rated with  feathers,  run  in  front  of 
us,  turning  somersaults,  walking  on  their 
hands  with  feet  in  the  air,'trundling  along 
like  [cart-wheels,  and  performing  a  variety 
of  gymnastic  exercises  creditable  to  a  well 
trained  circui  troupe.  They  keep  along- 
side of  us  for  several  squares,  and  we  can 


41 


only  get  rid  of  them  by  throwing  them  a 
dozen  copper  coins  called  tempos,  about  the 
value  of  one  cent  each.  Before  we  reach 
the  hotel  we  meet  several  coolies  propelling 
heavy  two-wheeled  carts  loaded  with 
boxes  of  tea,  or  sugar  and  rice  in  sacke, 
marking  time  with  a  laud  monotonous  cry, 
whang-hai!  whang  hai!  Other  pDrters  are 
bearing  merchandize  to  and  from  the  quay, 
each  pair  with  a  burden  between  them  on  a 
pole,  others  singly,  with  baskets  slung  on 
each  end  of  a  pole  about  six  feet  long, 
which  rests  upon  the  shoulder.  These  por- 
ters are  very  mus  ular  acd  healthy-looking 
fellows,  although  their  diet  is  entirely  fish 
and  rice,  both  of  which  are  very  cheap,  and 
of  excellent  quality. 

The  first  word  which  I  have  learned  in 
the  Japanese  vocabulary  is  one  easily  re- 
membered, and  reminds  me  of  home.  The 
ordinary  salutation  is  "Ohaio,"  signifying 
"good  day."  When  uttered  by  a  "Jap"  it  is 
always  accompanied  with  a  graceful  incli- 
nation of  the  body,  in  strong  contrast  with 
the  slight  bob  of  the  head  with  wh'ch 
Jones,  Smith  and  Brown  jerk  out  "How 
are  you  ?:'  The  parting  word  is  "Saionara," 
which  loses  nothing  in  softness  by  contrast 
with  the  French  adieu,  or  the  Italian  addio, 
and  the  elaborate  courtesy  of  all  classes  in 
Japan  makes  a  very  favorable  impression 
on  the  stranger.  W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  SEVENS. 


The  Shops  and  How  Customers  are 
Treated— Very  Sharp  at  a  Bargain— 
The  Currency— Mexican  Silver  Dol- 
lars the  Standard— Pasteboard  Money 
Drives  Oat  Coin— A  Financial  Smash 
not  Improbable— Calculating  Ma- 
chines—Chinamen in  Yokohama- 
Statistics  of  Trade  With  this  Coun- 
try—Political Sketch  of  Japan— The 
Mikado  and  the  Tycoon— A  Dutl 
Government— The  Late  Civil  War- 
North  Against  the  South— A  Great 
Mistake— The  Mikado  Triumphs  and 
the  Tycoon  is  Deposed— The  British 
Minister  Omnipotent  in  Foreign 
Affairs— Americans  Can  Take  a  Back 
Seat. 

Yokohama,  Japan,  Dec.  6, 1870. 
The  islands  forming  the  Japanese  empire 
stretch  along  the  east  coast  of  Asia,  and  are 
ihe  barriers  which  separate  a  great  ocean 
from  a  great  continent.  Except  Formosa 
all  the  islands  of  this  chain  belong  to  Japan. 
The  number  is  variously  estimated  from 
1,000  to  3,800,  large  and  small,  having  an 
aggregate  area  of  170,000  square  miles,  and 
a  population  of  about  35,000,000.  The 
four  largest  islands  are  Nippon,  900  miles 
long  by  about  100  miles  wide,  with  about 
95,000  square  miles;  Yesso,  about  30,000; 
Kinsieu,  about  16,000;  and  Sikok  about  10,- 
000.  Nippon  signifies  the  "  Land  of  the 
Rising  Sun,"  and  the  imperial  banner  is  a 
red  sun  on  a  white  ground.  Near  the  cen- 
ter, on  the  east  side  of  Nippon,  is  Yoko- 
hama, in  about  tbe  latitude  of  Philadelphia, 
although  the  average  temperature  is  con- 
siderably warmer  than  the  corresponding 
points  on  the  eastern  coast  of  America.  To- 
day, the  Gth  of  December,  the  sun  is  quite 
warm,  and  I  sit  with  my  window  open, 
although  the  nights  are  chilly  as  October. 
Snow  sometimes  falls  to  the  depth  of  a  few 
inches,  and  ice  an  inch  thick  is  not  unusual 
in  January,  which  is  the  coldest  month  of 
the  year.  Farther  north,  in  Yesso,  they 
have  weather  as  cold  and  snow  as  deep  as  in 


43 


New  England.  This  chain  of  islands  ex- 
tend from  northeast  to  southwest,  through 
so  many  degrees  of  latitude  as  to  give  every 
variety  of  climate  from  that  of  Canada  to 
Florida.  The  houses  are  never  built  with 
chimneys,  the  whole  group  being  subject  to 
earthquakes,  and  are  rarely  more  than  one 
story  in  height.  "Air-tight"  stoves  and 
1  'base-burners"  are  unknown,  the 
only  means  of  heating  rooms  being 
brasiers  of  charcoal,  around  wbich 
on  a  dam?  and  chilly  day,  in 
every  shop  one  can  see  a  group  of  natives 
squatted  on  their  heels,  warming  their 
hands,  smoking  pipes  with  bowls  half  as 
large  as  a  thimble,  and  sipping  from  tiny 
porcelain  cups  hot  tea,  or  a  rice  wine  called 
saki.  The  family  of  the  shop-keeper  lives  in 
the  rear,  separated  from  the  salesroom  by 
light  sliding  screens  covered  with  thin  oiled 
paper.  Window  glass  is  never  used  except 
in  the  foreign  houses,  although  the  Japanese 
are  quite  skilllul  in  the  manufacture  of  glass 
into  ornamental  articles.  These  paper  win- 
dows are  very  cheap,  easily  repaired,  and 
said  to  be  as  effectual  in  keepiug  cut  the 
cold  as  thin  sheets  of  glass.  The  Japanese 
depend  in  cold  weather  more  upon  thickly 
wadded  clothing  than  artificial  heat  for  com. 
fort.  The  floors  of  the  shops  are  raised 
about  a  foot  above  the  ground,  and  are  cov- 
ered with  nice  straw  matting.  The  cus- 
tomer always  slips  off  his  clogs  or  sandals, 
which  he  leaves  outside  and  in  front  of  the 
shop,  There  are  sometimes  a  dozen  pair, 
which  to  me  all  look  alike,  and  suggest  the 
very  natural  mistake  of  stepping  into  and 
walking  off  with  another  man's  shoes.  Of 
course  foreigners  are  exception?,  and  are 
permitted  to  tread  with  muddy  boots  on  the 
clean  mats  of  the  shops ;  but  if  invited  to 
visit  the  house  of  a  Japanese  gentleman,  I 
would  take  a  pair  of  slippers  along  in  my 
pocket. 

The  places  most  visited  by  strangers  in 
Japan  are  the  curio  shops.  The  outsides  of 
these  stores  are  by  no  means  imposing.  No 
high  marble  or  granite  structures,  no  plate 
glass  windows,  no  army  of  elegantly  dressed 
salesmen  are  to  be  seen,  but.a  room  perhaps 
fifteen  feet  square,  open  to  the  street,  the 
shelves  crowdad  with  lacquer- ware,  bronzes, 
fancy  goods  of  every  imaginable  description, 
iewelry,  straw-covered  boxes,  and  hundreds 
of  articles  that  are  made  nowhere  else  in 
the  world.  If  you  are  a  "Buckeye,"  the 
proprietor  salutes  you  with  the  name  of 
your  state,  which  you  return  with  equal  po- 


44 


liteness.  You  look  about,  and  there  beiDg 
no  counters,  can  handle  all  the  goods  in 
sight.  If  he  thinks  you  want 
to  purchase,  and  can  appreciate  a 
nice  piece  of  bronze  or  a  fine  lacquered  cab- 
inet, he  will  perhaps  invite  you  into  the 
back  room  or  up  into  the  attic,  where  his 
choicest  goods  are  kept.  Although  the 
front  shop  is  so  small  ycu  are  surprised  at 
the  extent  of  the  rear  premises,  and  the 
large  amount  of  stock  on  hand.  He  can 
furnish  you  with  a  hundred  lacquered  cabi- 
nets of  which  you  have  only  seen  one  sam- 
ple—or five  hundred  fans  of  any  one  ef 
twenty  different  varieties.  It  is  just  at  this 
time  an  expecially  favorable  opportunity  to 
buy  old  and  rare  bronzes  and  lacquend 
ware.  The  recent  revolution  having  ruined 
many  of  the  rich  Daimios,  who  formerly 
kept  up  large  establishments  at  Yeddo, 
where  they  were  compelled  by  law  to  re- 
side six  months  of  every  year,  all  the  arti- 
cles of  veriu  with  which  their  palaces  were 
filled,  are  now  offered  for  sale.  The  best 
and  most  valuable  pieces  of  bronze  and 
lacquer  the  proprietor  assures  you  are  "very 
old,"  and  "came  from  Yeddo." 

If  ycu  believe  all  this  literally  you  are  in 
danger  of  being  made  to  pay  double  price, 
although  it  would  scarcely  be  polite  to 
look  incredulous.  The  "Japs"  are  good 
trader?,  and  to  one  of  their  own  people  it  is 
said  that  they  never  ask  more  than  the 
actual  value  of  their  goods.  But  the  curio 
dealers  have  become  demoralized  by  con- 
tact with  foreigners,  and  ha\e  as  many 
prices  for  their  gocds  as  they  have  custo- 
mers. Unless  you  have  been  round  enough 
to  know  the  actual  market  value  of  the 
goods,  it  will  not  be  safe  to  offer  more  than 
a  half  or  a  third  the  price  asked.  He  will 
never  take  offense  at  the  smallness  of  the 
offer,  but  if  he  claps  his  hands,  which 
means  that  "it  is  a  bargain"  too  quick,  you 
may  be  sure  that  your  offer  was  too  high. 
If  after  spending  an  hour  in  examining  his 
finest  goods,  he  does  not  accept  your  offer?, 
and  permits  you  to  go  away,  you  can  return 
the  next  day,  add  a  trifle  to  your  bids,  and 
canclude  your  purchase,  tolerably  certain 
that  you  have  secured  a  bargain.  But  wheth- 
er you  purchase  or  not,  you  are  treated  with 
equal  courtesy,  offered  a  cup  of  tea,  and, 
with  a  polite  "sionara,"  bowed  into  the 
street. 

Shopping  in  this  way  takes  a  great  deal 
of  time,  and  is  not  altogether  pleasant  to 
one  who  counts  his  "time  as  money."    But 


45 


it  would  be  a  perfect  delight  to  some  ladies 
whom  I  know  in  Cleveland,  and  whose 
sharpness  at  a  "bargain"  would  be  more 
than  a  match  for  any  one  of  the  two  million 
Japanese  in  Yeddo.  I  will  say,  to  their 
credit,  however,  that  two  or  three  shops 
here  have  established  a  reputation  for  hav- 
ing but  one  price— a,  reform  which  all  for- 
eigners, not  "shoppers"  from  taste  and  in- 
clination, should  encourage. 

But  before  starting  out  on  a  shopping 
excursion,  we  mu3t  be  provided  with  the 
right  kind  of  money.  No  foreign  gold, 
much  less  greenbacks  or  scrip,  is  current 
here.  The  standard  of  currency  in  Japan, 
China  and  India  is  the  Mexican  silver  dol- 
lar, which  is  worth  ten  per  cent,  more  than 
European  or  American  gold.  Your  gold 
eagle  can  be  exchanged  at  the  banks  here, 
or  in  China,  for  nine  "Mexicans."  The 
Japanese  coins  are,  a  gold  cdbang,  formerly 
worth  five  dollars,  but  now  depreciated ; 
silver  itzaboos—ov  'boos,  for  short— four  for 
a  dollar ;  half  and  quarter  'boos ;  an  oval 
copper  coin,  the  tempo,  one  hundred  to  the 
dollar ;  and  copper  or  bronze  cash,  about 
ten  to  the  tempo,  or  one  thousand  to  a  dollar, 
which  circulates  only  among  the  very  poor 
classes.  But  the  government  has  learned 
some  lessons  in  finance  from  the  Western 
nations,  and  within  two  or  three  years 
have  issued  a  large  quantity  of  paper 
money,  representing  every  denomination 
from  a  cobang  to  a  quarter  boo.  It  is  printed 
on  thick  paper  like  pasteboard,  covered 
on  both  sides  by  Japanese  charac- 
ters, the  smallest  denomination  being 
about  three  inches  long  by  one  inch 
wide,  the  size  increasing  with  the 
value  represented.  This  paper  money 
has  driven  the  gold  and  silver  coin  out  of 
circulation,  and  is  received  by  everybody, 
foreign  and  native,  more  readily  than  "Mex- 
ican dollars,"  which  are  inconvenient  to 
cairy  and  dangerous  from  the  number  coun- 
terfeited. It  is  hinted  that  the  government 
has  no  record  of  the  quantity  of  paper 
money  issued,  and  in  adopting  the  con- 
venience of  making  paper  represent  coin, 
they  must  take  the  chance  of  an  over-issue 
and  a  financial  crash,  of  which  we  Ameri- 
cans have  had  several  experiences  in  our 
history. 

The  "Japs"  have  no  faculty  for  mental 
arithmetic.  If  you  ask  how  much  for  a 
dozen  or  a  hundred  pieces  of  an  article,  in- 
stead of  iiifaig  a  pencil  to  figure  it  out,  they 
have   recourse  to   a  calculating  machine, 


46 


made  of  wooden  buttons  strung  on  a  wire 
frame,  much  like  those  used  in  primary 
schools  at  home.  Every  shop  is  provided 
with  these  machines,  as  are,  also,  the  bank- 
ing offices,  where  the  receiving  and  paying 
tellers  are  generally  Chinamen.  There  are 
hundreds  of  Chinese  here  holding  the  posi- 
tions of  higher  servants  and  compradores  for 
the  hotels,  banks  and  business  houses.  They 
are  to  be  seen  in  the  streets  nicely  dressed 
in  silk  and  broadcloth,  and  as  many  of  them 
occupy  positions  of  trusts  in  the  largest  es- 
tablishments, they  consider  thsmselves  very 
much  above  the  natives.  The  "Japs,"  in 
writing,  use  the  Chinese  characters,  and 
like  them,  commence  at  the  right  hand  up- 
per corner,  the  lines  running  from  top  to 
bottom  of  the  page. 

Yokohama  is  the  great  shipping  em- 
porium of  Japan.  The  present  United 
States  Consul  at  this  port,  Mr.  Lyons,  unlike 
some  of  his  predecessors,  is  very  popular 
with  the  American  merchants  here,  and  has 
the  reputation  of  being  a  thoroughly  up- 
right, honest  man.  The  importance  of  the 
trade  will  be  seen  from  the  fact  that  the  ex- 
port of  merchandize  to  the  United  States  in 
1870  will  exceed  five  and  a  half  million 
of  dollars.  The  greater  part  of  this  is  tea, 
of  which  the  export  to  the  United  States  in 
1870  will  he  over  fourteen  rriliion  pounds, 
paying  a  duty  to  the  government  of 
$3,500,000.  Nearly  all  the  Japan  tea  goes 
to  America.  The  first  cargo  ever  shipped 
was  to  England,  but  finding  no  sale  there, 
was  sent  to  New  York.  Unlike  the  Chinese 
teas,  it  is  all  uncolored,  the  natural  leaf,  and 
free  from  the  copperas  poison  of  the  green 
teas  of  China. 

The  political  situation  of  Japan  ha« 
changed  so  materially  within  the  last  two 
years  that  no  books  or  account  of  the  method 
of  government  written  five  years  ago  are  at 
all  applicable  to  the  present  status  of  affairs. 
By  Japanese  chronology  the  history  of  the 
Mikados,  or  Emperors,  goes  back  six 
hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era. 
Honors  were  paid  to. him  as  the  great  high 
priest,  son  of  heaven,  and  absolute  spiritual 
a3  well  as  temporal  ruler.  His  person  was 
so  sacred  as  to  be  veiled  from  all  profane 
eyes.  If  he  ever  left  his  palace  at  Miakc, 
every  face  was  laid  in  the  dust,  as  if  in  the 
presence  of  a  god.  In  the  twelfth  century 
one  of  the  most  powerful  of  the  Daimios,  a 
man  of  great  ability  and  ambition,  during  a 
period  of  civil  commotion,  assumed  the  real 
sovereignty  of  the  empire,  under  the  name 


of  Tycoon.  The  Mikado  then  became  a 
mere  shadow,  retaining  the  name  of  em- 
peror, and  all  the  honors  and  reverence  due 
him  in  his  spiritual  capacity,  but  the 
Tycoon  and  his  successors,  who  established 
their  capital  at  Yeddo,  were  the  actual 
rulers  of  the  empire.  Law,  however,  or 
custom  and  usage  rather— for  I  believe  there 
has  been  until  lately  no  written  law  in 
Japan— required  that  all  the  acts  of  the  Ty- 
coon should  be  latilisd  by  the  Mikado. 
Many  of  the  Mikados  have  devoted  their 
lives  to  literary  pursuits,  and  Miako  has 
been  the  center  of  learning  for  the  empire, 
while  the  spirit  of  war  and  military  science 
has  found  its  home  in  Yeddo. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury the  Jesuit  missionaries  under  Xavier, 
the  disciple  and  friend  of  Loyola,  obtained  a 
foothold  in  Japan,  and  made  convetis  by 
thousands,  including  some  of  the  princes  of 
high  rank.  They  soon  incurred  the  enmity 
of  the  powerful  priesthood  by  their  whole- 
sale destruction  of  the  temples  of  Buddha 
and  Sintoo,  which  led  to  an  edict  of  banish- 
ment.  The  Portuguese,  who  then  monopo- 
lized the  foreign  trade  with  Japan,  took 
sides  with  the  missionaries,  and  a  decree 
ordered  that  the  whole  race  of  Portuguese 
should  be  banished  forever.  The  foreign 
trade  then  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Pro- 
testant Dutch,  which  they  retained  under 
the  most  humiliating  restrictions  and  indig- 
nities, being  imprisoned  on  a  small  island 
at  Decima,  and  never  allowed  to  penetrate 
beyond  the  limits  of  their  own  trading 
post,  for  over  two  hundred  year?,  until  in 
1864  Commodore  Perry  inaugurated  a  new 
era  in  the  history  of  the  country.  The 
Christians  were  bitterly  persecuted,  and 
after  a  bloody  struggle  were  exterminated. 
The  decree  cf  the  Emperor,  issued  two 
centuries  and  a  half  ago,  prohibits  any  for- 
eigner from  setting  foot  on  Japanese  soil, 
and  renders  it  lawful  for  any  subject  to  kill 
any  one  of  the  hated  race.  This  law  is  still 
unrepealed,  although  it  has  become  a  detd 
letter. 

The  treaties  negotiated  by  Commodore 
Perry  and  his  successors  were  made  with 
the  Tycoon,  and  it  was  not  until  several 
years  later  that  the  dual  government  of 
Japan  was  understood,  and  it  was  found 
that  none  of  these  treaties  had  been  ratified 
by  the  Mikado.  In  the  meaiatime,  the  for- 
eigners had  obtained  a  foothold  in  somo 
places,  and  could  not  be  dislodged.  Many 
of  the   most    powerful   of  the   Southern 


48 


Daimios,  who  are  almost  absolute  rulers  in 
their  own  districts,  and  number  their 
armed  retainers  by  thousands  and  their  in- 
comes by  millions  of  dollars,  were  bitterly 
opposed  to  the  foreign  policy  of  the  Ty- 
coon's government,  and  the  numerous  mur- 
ders and  assassinations  of  Europeans  were 
attributed  to  them.  The  law  requiring  all 
tbe  Daimios  to  reside  with  their  families 
half  the  time  at  Yeddo  gave  frequent  oppor- 
tunities for  foreign  residents  to  meet  these 
bitterly  hostile  soldieis  while  travelling 
back  and  forth  on  the  Imperial  road,  or 
Tocaido,  which  passes  through  Kanagara, 
and  was  one  reason  why  the  Tycoon's  gov- 
ernment removed  the  foreign  settlement  to 
Yokohama  two  miles  away,  and  built  upon 
the  causeway  connecting  the  two  places  a 
strong  gateway  for  their  protection.  Al 
though  it  was  doubted  at  the  time,  it  is  now 
well  understood,  that  the  Tycoon's  govern- 
ment was  sincere  in  their  professions  of  in- 
ability otherwise  to  protect  foreigners  from 
assassination. 

The  hostility  between  the  North  and 
South,  the  latter  supporting  the  Mikado  and 
the  former  rallying  around  the  Tycoon,  at 
last  culminated  in  a  civil  war  two  years 
ago.  An  immense  quantity  of  military  sup- 
plies had  been  sold  by  foreigners,  Enfield 
and  Springfield  rifles,  breech  loaders,  re- 
volvers, rifled  cannon,  shells  and  solid  shot. 
Both  sides  had  a  navy  composed  of 
English  and  American  built  ships 
of  war  commanded  and  manned  en- 
tirely by  Japanese.  Just  at  this  crisis 
the  ex-rebel  ram  Stonewall,  sold  by  us  to 
the  Tycoon,  arrived  at  Yokohama.  She 
came  into  port  with  the  Tycoon's  flag  fly- 
ing ,  but  Sir  Harry  Parks,  the  British  Min- 
ister, who  favored  the  Mikado  and  the 
Southern  side  in  the  quarrel— not  the  first 
time  England  has  favored  the  South— per- 
suaded our  Minister,  Geo.  E.  Yan  Volken- 
burgh,  not  to  deliver  her  up  to  the  Tycoon. 
This  was^a  great  mistake,  and  probably 
turned  the  scr.le  in  favor  of  the  rebels,  for 
the  Stonewall  with  her  powerful  batteries 
and  formidable  ram  could  have  run  down 
and  destroyed  the  whole  Southern  fleet. 

The  struggle  was  short  and  decisive.  The 
Tycoon's  army  was  beaten  in  several  bloody 
battles,  he  gave  up  the  game  as  lost,  abdica- 
ted his  office  which  was  then  abolished, 
and  was  allowed  to  retire  to  his  estates 
where  he  now  lives  a  quasi-prisoner  of  war. 
The  Mikado  is  now  the  sole  ruler,  temporal 
and  spiritual  of  Japan.    He  is  a  young  man 


49 

of  about  twenty-one,  said  to  be  of  no  great 
mental  ability,  but  is  in  the  hands  of  his 
ministers,  the  ruling  spirit  among  whom 
is  Satsuma,  the  most  restless  and  ambitious 
of  all  the  great  Sautkern  Daimaos.  The 
Mikado  now  resides  part  of  the  time  at 
Yeddo,  and  his  government  has  shown 
great  leniency  toward  the  deieated  and  de- 
throned Tycoon  and  his  adherents.  Sir 
Harry  and  British  influence  is  now  all  pow- 
erful in  Japan,  and  controls  the  foreign  pol- 
icy of  the  government,  The  country  ap- 
pears to  be  tranquil.  Foreigners  can  travel 
freely  anywhere  within  the  treaty  limits, 
which  extend  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles 
around  Yokohama,  and  by  obtaining  a  pats 
from  theigovernment  can  visit  Yeddo  or  any 
other  place  of  interest.  A  large  tract  of 
land  on  the  heights  near  the  city  has  been 
granted  to  the  British,  where  they  have 
built  a  marine  hospital  and  have  a  camp  of 
one  thousand  men.  A  most  beautiful  site 
and  spacious  grounds  have  been  assigned  to 
the  British  Legation,  and  we  Americans, 
who  are  entitled  to  the  credit  of  having  fir&t 
opened  Japan  to  the  world,must  take  a  back 
seat  and  euck  our  thumbs  until  another 
revolution  brings  us  to  the  front. 

W.  P.  F. 


DUMBER  EIGHT. 


An  Excursion  to  Daibutz—  Japanese 
Horses— County  Roads  and  Shady 
Lanes— Hedges  Unrivalled  in  the 
World— Everybody  in  Japan  Knows 
Ohaio— Large  Crops  With  Rude  Im- 
plements —  Two  Triologies,  One 
Poetical  and  One  True— Kamakura 
and  Its  Temples— Collossal  Statue  of 
Buddha— A.  Wonderful  Work  of 
Ait— A  Sacrilegious  Betto— A  Japan- 
ese Dinner— The  Original  Grecian 
Bend— The  Ride  Back— A  Funeral 
Procession— A  Pleasant  Experience 
Leaves  a  Painful  Impression. 

Yokohama,  Japan, 
December  12, 1870. 
Taking  thi3  place  as  the  base  of  opera- 
tions, I  have  made  two  ex3ursions  into  the 
interior— one  to  the  great  city  of  Yeddo, 
eighteen  miles  distant  to  the  west;  the 
other  to  Kamakura,  the  site  of  the  ancient 
capital  of  the  Empire,  about  the  same  dis- 
tance in  the  opposite  direction.  Near  the 
latter  place  is  the  famous  bronze  statue  of 
Buddha,  called  "Daibutz,"  to  see  which, 
was  the  special  object  of  the  excursion.  I 
started  before  the  sun  was  up,  the  sky  clear 
and  bright,  and  the  sharp  morning  air  ex- 
hilarating for  active  exercise.  A  white 
f rost  covered  the  ground,  which  disappeared 
as  the  sun  came  up,  and  for  the  first  mile  or 
two  we  gave  our  ponies  loose  rein  to  try 
their  quality.  My  companion  was  a  youog 
Englishman,  and  we  were  accompanied  by 
a  "Betto,"  who  professed  to  know  the  way, 
and  who  kept  alongside  the  horses,  with 
less  appearance  of  fatigue  than  the  horses 
showed,  for  the  whole  distance  out  ana 
back.  After  my  forty  miles'  experience  of 
the  tender  mercies  of  a  Japanese  horse— or 
pony,  rather,  for  the  breed  is  quite  small- 
untrained,  hard-bitted,  rough  in  gait  and 
vicious  in  disposition,  I  would  recommend 
the  traveler  to  go  on  foot.  It  would,  how- 
ever, be  unjust  to  the  Japanese  pony  not  to 
give  him  credit  for  being  remarkably  tough 
and  sure-footed.    Our  route  for  a  short  dis- 


~-*—- =*»        MM 


m 
^ 


10n 


73ronzc  Statue  oj  ftudclh  a 


51 


tance  was  along  the  main  road,  which  was 
crowded  with  market  people,  some  loaded 
with  vegetables  in  baskets  slung  across 
their  shoulders,  others  leading  ponies  al- 
most buried  under  huge  panniers  of  all 
kinds  of  country  produce.  No  wheeled 
vehicle  did  we  see  of  any  description  on  the 
whole  journey. 

Turning  to  the  left,  we  iollowed  a  bridle 
path,  which  skirted  the  shore  of  a  beautiful 
bay,  dotted  with  small  islands  and  fishing 
boats,  and  named  after  the  Mississippi,  one 
of  the  first  American  men-of-war  that  vis- 
ited Japan.  The  country  was  very  broken, 
full  of  hills  and  ravines,  up  and  down 
which  our  pathway  led,  in  many  places  so 
narrow  that  two  horsemen  could  not  ride 
abreast.  From  the  summits  of  the  hills  we 
had  beautiful  views  of  the  bay  on  our  left, 
the  white  sails  glistening  in  the  morning 
sun,  and  on  our  right  was  a  most,  pictur- 
esque, undulating  country?  stretching  many 
miles  away,  teeming  with  an  industrious 
population.  la  the  background,  sixty 
miles  distant,  was  the  conical  peak  of 
"matchless  Fusigama,"  from  base  to  summit 
white  with  snow,  the  lines  clear  and  dis- 
tinct against  the  blue  sky. 

The  highly  cultivated  valleys  were  un- 
marred  by  fences,  but  divided  off  by  em- 
bankments into  paddy  or  rice  fields  at  dif- 
ferent levels,  which  permits  them  to  be 
overflowed  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year. 
The  ravines  are  terraced  to  the  hill  tops, 
the  upper  part  being  devoted  to  wheat  and 
vegitables,  while  the  lower  half,  as  well  as 
the  valleys  to  which  the  ravines  open,'  are 
given  up  to  rice  culture. 

Our  course  lay  through  shaded  lanes 
past  brown  farm  houses  with  strawthatched 
roofs.  Some  groen  with  moss  and  climbing 
plants,  and  shaded  with  handsome  live-oak 
and  evergreen  trees  over  innumerable  little 
rivulets,  across  which  our  ponies  stepped 
daintily  on  plank  or  stone  bridge?,  scarcely 
two  feet  in  width,  without  railings  or  par- 
apets on  the  sides.  Then  the  path  would 
lead  along  the  narrow  partitions  between 
the  rice  fialds,  where  a  misstep  would  leave 
both  horse  and  rider  floundering  in  the  mud. 
We  passed  several  water  wheels  turning 
the  rude  machinery  of  rice  mills,  through 
frequent  villages  where  the, people,  especi- 
ally the  women  and  children,  turned  out  to 
see  us  go  by,  the  latter  greeting  us  with 
the  salutation,  "Ohaio!"  "Ohaio!"  It 
seemed  as  if  at  least  one   Slate  of  America 


52 


was  well  known  to  the  people  here,  for  it 
was  called  after  us  from  nearly  every 
cottage  and  hamlet  which  we  passed. 

We  wind  along  through  shady  lanes 
where  the  sun's  rays  pierce  only  at  inter- 
vals,  while  on  the  banks  above,  the  pine, 
evergreen,  oak  and  bamboo  are  mingled 
with  the  bright  crimson  foliage  of  the  ma- 
ples ;  all  making  a  picture  of  autumnal  tints, 
which  in  richness  and  variety,  surpass 
anything  I  have  ever  seen.  The  dark 
glossy  leaves  of  the  camelia,  a  native  of 
Japan,  are  frequently  seen.  It  grows  wild 
in  the  woods,  covered  with  flowers  of  va- 
rious colors,  some  red  and  single  like  holly- 
hocks. Japanese  gardeners  here  at- 
tained great  skill  in  cultivating  the 
camelia,  which,  in  America  is  more 
frequently  called  from  its  native  coun- 
try, the  "Japonica."  Very  large,  double 
asters  and  crysonthenums  of  various  colors 
are  seen  in  the  gardens  which  we  pass,  and 
very  many  other  late  autumn  flowers,  the 
name  of  which,  with  my  limited  knowledge 
cf  botany,  I  cannot  give. 

But  the  most  beautiful  feature  of  the  road 
is  the  extent  and  great  variety  of  the  hedges, 
which,  in  some  places  line  the  path  for  miles. 
It  is  said  that  nowhere  out  of  England  can 
iuch  hedges  be  seen,  and  not  even  there,  in 
such  variety.'  They  are  well  kept  and  nice- 
ly trimmed  in  the  Dutch  style,  (which  was 
introduced,  perhaps,  from  Japan  to  Europe,) 
Wild-orange,  camelia,  bamboo,  and  the  tea- 
plant,  all  give  variety  to  the  hedgerows, 
which  enclose  fields  of  rich  dark  soil,  with- 
out a  pebble  or  weed.  The  implements  of 
husbandry  are  very  rude,  and  not  construct- 
ed on  the  labor-saving  plan.  It  is  to  the 
credit  of  Japan  that  women  are  seldom  seen 
at  work  in  the  fields,  their  time  being  devo- 
ted to  the  lighter  labors  of  the  household. 
Large  crops  are  raised,  but  the  land  is  never 
allowed  to  rest,  and  without  any  proper 
succession  of  crops.  It  is  richly  dressed  to 
keep  up  its  fertility.  Perhaps  perpetuating 
the  same  seeds  and  plants  without  change 
may  be  the  cause  why  many  fruits  and  veg- 
etables are  either  rank  or  tasteless.  Some 
one  disgusted  with  Japan  has  said  that,  al- 
though it  is  one  of  the  most  fertile  and  beau- 
tiful countries  in  the  world,  "There  the 
flowers  have  no  scent,  the  birds  no  song,  the 
fruit  and  vegetables  no  flavor,"  To  which 
another  triology  may  be  added,  which  is 
much  more  literally  true,  if  not  so 
practical.       ""Women    wear     no     crino- 


53 


line,  houses  harbor  no  bugs,  and 
the  country  no  lawyers."  Since  I  have  been 
in  Japan  I  have  heard  the  singing  of  birds, 
have  scented  the  Cape- Jasmine,  and  have 
eaten  many  fine-flavored  oranges,  but  I  have 
seen  neither  "crinoline,  bugs,  nor  attor- 
neys," native  to  the  country. 

But  as  we  must  return  before  dark  to  Yo- 
kohama it  will  not  answer  to  linger  among 
these  charming  green  lanes,  however  at- 
tractive they  may  be.  At  eleven  o'clock  we 
reached  Kenesawa,  a  pretty  fishing  village 
on  the  bay,  and  a  great  resort  among  the 
natives  for  spending  a  holiday  and  for  pic- 
nics. The  road  from  here  to  Eamakura 
passes  through  a  narrow  clett  in  the  rock, 
sixty  feet  deep,  with  perpendicular  sides ; 
a  pass  that  a  handful  of  men  could  defend 
against  thousands.  The  old  city  which, 
ssven  hundred  years  ago  was  the  capitol  of 
the  empire,  is  said  to  contain,  even  now, 
over  a  hundred  temples  and  shrines.  The 
road  to  it  is  thronged  with  pilgrims  to  the 
sacred  city.  But  its  glory  has  departed,  and 
many  of  its  temples  are  in  ruins.  "We  vis- 
ited a  few  which,  like  all  the  temples  of 
Japan,  were  built  very  strongly  of  wood, 
with  very  heavy  cornices  and  gateways, 
carved  with  figures  of  dragons,  fish,  birds 
and  flowers.  They  are  situated  on  high  ter- 
races, approached  by  wide  stone  steps,  and 
command  beautiful  views  over  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  elaborate  carvings 
were  once  covered  with  gold,  but  now  the 
gilding  has  become  dim  with  age  and  neg- 
lect, and  nearly  all  have  a  dilapidated  ap- 
pearance. 

About  a  mile  South-west  of  what  remains 
of  the  ancient  city,  surrounded  by  a  grove  of 
evergreen,  and  approached  through  a  broad 
avenue,  flagged  with  stones,  is  the  famous 
colassal  statue  of  the  Great  Buddha,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  works  of  artlin 
the  world.  It  is  of  Bronze,  50  feet  in  height, 
96  feet  in  circumference  at  the  base,  and 
rests  upon  a  granite  pedestal  abi  ut  six  feet 
high.  It  represents  the  great  prophet  sit- 
ting in  the  oriental  manner  upon  a  lotus. 
The  head  is  covered  with  small  knobs  rep- 
resenting the  snails  which,  according  to 
tradition,  came  to  protect  Buddha  from  the 
heat  of  the  burning  sun.  It  is  no  grotesque 
idol,  but  a  work  of  high  art,  executed  more 
than  600  years  ago,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
originally  covered  by  an  immense  temple, 
which  was  swept  away  by  an  earthquake 
wave  from  the  sea.  The  face  is  of  Hindoo 
type,  the  hands  are  folded  in  front,  and  the 


54 

attitude  easy,  with  an  expression  of  placid 

repose.    It  is  Buddha  in  Nirvana,  a  state  of 

utter  annibilation  of  external  consciousness, 

attained   after   ages  of    purification.    The 

bronze  plates  of  which  it  is  composed  were 

cast  in   sections  of  a  few  feet   square,  and 

joined  so  skilfully  that  the  seams   can  with 

dfficulty  be  detected.    The  features  are  all 

in  perfect  harmony  and  proportion.      The 

nose  is  three  and  a  half  feet  long,  the   ears 

six  and  a  half,  the  thumb  nailes  eight  by 

ten  inches.      The  thumbs    an     pined  in 

front  of  the  body,   and  upon  them   is  room 

.or  six  persons  to  sit  abreast. £ The  statue  is 

hollow,  and  contains  within  many  small  gilt 

images      of      the      Buddish      pantheon. 

Upon     the     walls      are     inscribed    the 

autographs     of   many     visitors    in     red 

and  black   paint,  which  the  old  priest  in 

charge  offered  to  us,  that  we  might  attain  a 

cheap  immortality  by  leaving  our  names  or 

initials  upon  the  ceiling.    While  looking 

about  the  room  inside  for  some  relic  to  bring 

away,  our  Belto,  who  seemed  to  divine  my  , 

wish,   most    wickedly    and    sacrifiEimlgr .',-  j 

broke  off  the  hand  of  one  ot  the  gilt  images.  ~sJ 

As  I  noticed  that  the  other  hand  was  gone, 
and  this  one  could  easily  bs  replaced,  I  quiet- 
ly slipped  tne  "relic"  into  my  pocket  and 
handed  the  fellow  a  Boo  as  a  salve  for  his 
conscience. 

Returning  to  the  town  of  Kamakura  we 
took  dinner  at  a  native  inn,  where  we  were 
served  with  the  best  the  place  afforded. 
Hot  tea  and  saki,  then  little  paste  of  sweet-^ 
meats  and  confectionary;  next  came  fish 
and  rice,  which  we  ate  with  chopsticks. 
After  that  several  courses  of  native  di?hes, 
the  material  of  which  were  to  us  unknown, 
but  as  they  were  savory  and  our  ride  had 
given  a  sharp  appetite,  we  asked  no  ques- 
tions. I  am  sure  no  "bill  of  fare"  at  Del - 
monico'd,  or  any  other  restaurant  in  Eu- 
rope or  America  includes  them.  We  were 
awaited  upon  by  very  pretty  attendants, 
(according  to  Japanese  style  of  beauty,)  and 
here  we  noticed  the  original  "Grecian 
bend,"  the  gracaful  wave  called  by  Hogarth 
the  "line  of  beauty."  The  wide  tcarfs 
around  their  waists  were  tied  in  very  large 
knots  behind,  and  represented  the  fashion- 
able "panniers."  As  they  stooped  very 
low  in  handing  us  the  various  dishes,  we 
could  readily  understand  how  her  Parisian 
sisters  copied  this  posture  from  the  Japan- 
ese "Moosmies"  who  waited  on  the  visiters 
at  the  "Sea  house  erected  at  the  "Exposi- 
tion Universelle"  in  18GT. 


55 


The  difference  between  the  "Moosmie" 
and  the  Farisionne  is,  that  what  the  latter 
attains  by  much  study  and  practice,  the 
former  grows  into  naturally,  from  polite- 
ness inculcated  from  the  earliest  childhood. 

Our  ride  back  was  by  an  entirely  different 
route,  and  our  "Betto:'  several  times  lost 
the  way.  The  country  people  were  very 
kind  in  directing  u?,  and  in  several  cases 
insisted  upon  going  along  quite  a  distance  to 
show  the  road.  Just  before  reaching  town 
we  met  a  funeral  procession,  headed  by 
priest?,  and  a  band  of  musicians  playing 
upon  ssmisens,  a  sort  of  barjo,  and  small 
drums,  or  torn  toms.  White  is  the  color  of 
mourning  in  both  Japan  and  China.  The 
coffins  are  large  earthen  jars,  the  Japanese 
being  buried  as  he  lives,  with  his  heels 
tucked  under  him,  in  a  sitting  posture. 
This  has  the  advantage  of  saving  space  in 
cemeteries,  which  is  increased  by  burning 
the  bodies  of  the  poorer  classes,  and  burying 
the  ashes  in  still  smaller  jars.  Their  funer- 
als are  always  at  sunset,  and  they  have  a 
stiange  superstition  against  sleeping  or 
being  buried  with  their  heads  to  the  north. 
In  sleeping  rooms  the  points  of  the  compass 
are  frequently  marked  on  the  ceiling,  that 
the  sleeping  mats  may  be  placed  'in  the 
right  direction. 

Soon  after  sunset  we  reached  the  hotel, 
our  day's  experience  having  given  me  a 
better  insight  of  the  n4ti£al,  their  manners 
and  customs  at  home,  away  from  the  influ- 
ence of  foreigner?,  than  I  could  ever  have 
obtained  in  the  city  of  Yokohama.  It,  also 
-left,  for  several  days,  zpainfful  impression, 
of  my  forty  miles  ride  on  a  Japanese  pony. 

W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  NINE. 

The  Leader *s  Correspondent  in  Luck— 
Interviewing  One  of  the  Royal  Fam- 
ily-No Show  for  a  High  Private,  but 
a  Colonel  Can  Go  In— His  High 
Mightiness  Good  Natured  and  Affa- 
ble—Enquiry After  Mr.  Emperor  Pres- 
ident Grant's  Health— A  Short  Lesson 
in  History  and  Geography— Invited 
to  Yeddo— The  Officers  Carious  but 
Very  Courteous— Homage  Paid  to 
Royalty  in  Europe  as  Well  as  Asia- 
Americans  Can't  See  It. 

Yokohama,  Japan,  Dec.  12, 1870. 
Some  philosopher  has  said  that  "one 
'•'might  as  well  be  born  lucky  as  rich." 
When  I  came  to  Japan,  a  private  traveler,  I 
had  no  expectation  of  being  able  to  approach 
within  gun-shot  of  any  of  the  "biood  royal ;" 
but  my  lucky  star  is  in  the  ascendant  and 
to-day  I  have  had  the  satisfaction,  in  behalf 
of  the  Leader,  of  "interviewing"  the  uncle 
of  the  Micado,  one  of  the  royal  family,  and 
the  Minister  of  Marine  and  "War.  It  hap- 
pened in  this  wise :  "When  I  returned  at  one 
o'clock  from  my  morning  walk  in  Curio - 
town,  I  found  the  hall  of  the  hotel  filled 
with  Japanese  officers  of  high  ranK,  in  vari- 
ous uniforms,  military  and  naval,  but  all 
wearing  the  two  swords,  and  the  coat-of- 
arms  of  the  Makado. 

Upon  enquiry  as  to  what  was  up,  I  was 
told  that  his  "High  Mightiness,  uncle  of 
Emperor,"  etc.,  etc.,  had  arrived,  and  was 
taking  breakfast  in  the  grand  parlor  on  the 
ground  floor.  The  landlord  was  in  a  flurry, 
the  waiters  were  running  to  and  fro,  and 
the  house  was  the  seer e  of  as  much  excite- 
ment as  if  the  Queen  ot  England  herself  was 
the  gusst 

Glancing  at  the  door  of  the  room  which 
was  guarded  by  a  crowd  of  officers,  I  deter- 
mined some  way  or  other  to  interview  this 
high  personage.  I  quietly  took  my  lunch 
while  I  studied  the  plan  of  the  campaign. 
Then  I  went  up  to  my  room,  put  on  my 
best  toggery,  which  was  not  very  dashing— 
neither  sword,  gilt  buttons  nor  shoulder- 
straps— and  descending,  card  In  had,  I 
"Ohaio'd"  a  young  officer,  and  requested  him 


57 


to  take  in  my  card  to  Hi3  Excslleccy,  and  re- 
quest permission  to  pay  my  respects.  He 
could  not  understand  my  English  and  po 
litely  referred  me  to  the  interpreter,  a  pleas- 
ant looking  "Jap,"  whose  knowledge  of 
English  was  not  very  extensive.  He  looked 
at  me  with  surprise,  as  I  repeated  my  re- 
quest,  glanced  at  the  card  and  spelled  out 
the  name  which  he  pronounced  with  a  deci- 
dedly foreiga  accent,  and  asked  me  who  I 
was.  I  told  him  I  was  an  American  gentle- 
man traveling  for  information  and  pleasure, 
an  independent  "citizen  sovereign"  in  my 
own  country,  who  expected  to  see  some- 
what of  the  world  before  I  returned  home , 
and  named  some  of  the  countries  which  I 
designed  to  visit— that  it  would  afford  me 
great  pleasure  to  pay  my  respects  to  one  of 
ihe  Micado's  family  and  a  high  officer  of  the 
government  of  Japan.  I  did  not  mention 
that  I  was  "connected  with  the  Pres?," 
which  would  have  been  an  open  sesame  to 
any  great  man's  presence  in  America— for 
1  do  not  suppose  that  any  Japanese 
i9  civilized  enough  to  appreciate  the 
importance  and  value  of  newspapers.  With 
some  hesitation  he  took  in  my  card,  and  re- 
turning in  a  few  minutes  he  handed  it  back 
and  courteously  informed  me  that  HisExcel- 
leEcy  was  to  remain  but  a  short  time  and 
Degged  to  be  excused  from  receiving  any 
private  traveler.  Nothing  daunted,  I  then 
played  my  best  trump,  which  I  bad  held  in 
reserve-  I  took  my  card  and  wrote  on  it 
the  military  title  which  1  held  by  virtue  of 
a  commission  from  the  Governor  of  Ohio, 
and  explained  to  the  officers  the  rank  it 
signified,  which  at  once  raised  me  many  de- 
grees in  their  estimation.  I  said  that  I 
would  detain  His  Excellency  bat  a  moment. 
In  the  meantime  I  had  formed  a  rapid  ac- 
quaintance with  a  young  fellow,  the  captain 
of  one  of  the  Japanese  men-ot-war,  and 
pleased  him  by  admiring  his  sword,  which 
he  told  me  was  presented  to  him  by  the 
Micado.  He  went  into  the  room  with  the 
interpreter  and  immediately  came  back  with 
the  request  for  me  to  enter.  Literally  my 
last  card  had  won.  At  the  door  I  wa9  met 
by  an  officer  next  in  rank  to  the  Minister, 
who  shook  hands  and  led  me  to  the  other 
end  of  the  large  room  and  presented  me  to 
the  great  man,  who  rose  from  his  seat, 
shook  hands  very  cordially  and  offered  me  a 
chair.  He  seemed  about  fifty  years  old, 
short  and  fat,  with  a.  very  intelligent  face 
and  remarkably  bright  and  sparkling  eyes. 
I  noticed  on  the  table  some  bottles,  which 
showed  me  that  he  had  washed  down  hi  3 


58 


breakfast  with  some  good  English  ale,  and 
he  seemed  a  HU'e  mellow,  and  in  good 
humor  with  himself  and  all  the  world. 
His  hair  was  not  tied  up  in  cup,  but  cut  very 
snort,  and  his  dres-s  was  in  Japanese  style 
of  very  rich  material.  One  sword  was  in 
hie  belt,  and  the  larger  one  was  lying  on 
the  table.  They  were  by  far  the  most  ele- 
gant I  have  6een  in  J*pan.  The  scabbards 
and  handles  were  inlaid  with  gold  and  pearl. 
His  hat  lay  befoe  him  on  the  table,  shaped 
like  an  inverted  wash-bowl,  and  richly  dec- 
orated with  geld  lace.  His  lieutenant's  hat 
was  similar,  only  with  silver  decoration. 
He  did  not  seem  in  a  bit  of  a  hurry,  but  of- 
fered me  a  cigar,  while  one  of  his  attendant?, 
on  his  knees  and  with  his  head  bowed  to  the 
floor,  handed  tim  an  elegant  Japanese  pipe. 
His  Knowledge  of  the  English  vocabulary 
seemed  about  equal  to  mine  of  the  Japanese. 
He  could  say  "yes,"  "co,""Howdoyoudo," 
and  "good  bye"  So  cur  conversation  wa9 
through  the  interpreter.  He  touched  me  on 
the  coat  and  intimated  that  I  wore  no  uni- 
form,which  I  explained  by  saying  that  I  was 
in  traveling  dress.  The  next  question  as  put 
by  the  interpreter  so  amused  me  that  I  could 
with  difficulty  keep  a  sober  countenance. 
It  ww,  "How  do  Mr.  Grant,  Emperor, 
America?"  I  assured  him  the  "Emperor" 
was  quite  well  the  last  time  I  heard  from 
him,  and  then  tried  to  explain  that  we  call 
our  "Emperor"  by  the  title  of  "President." 
I  don't  think  he  appreciated  the  difference. 
I  an  iwered  to  the  best  of  my  ability  many 
q  aestions  about  our  army  and  how  our  battle  s 
were  fought,  whether  at  long  or  short  range, 
hand  to  hand,  or  with  big  guns,  with  troops 
massed  or  as  skirmishers,  told  him  some- 
thing about  the  great  battles  of  our  war,  the 
number  of  men  engaged,  and  the  part  taken 
in  ths  war  by  "Emperor"  President  Grant. 
He  asked  the  number  of  men  in  my  regi- 
ment, and  whether  thay  were  brave.  I  can 
assure,  I  gave  the  Sixth  and  Seventh  Ward 
Germans,  who  composed  the  Third  Regi- 
ment O.  Y.  M.,  the  credit  of  being  as  gal- 
Jant  a  set  of  fellows  as  ever  shouldered  a 
musket.  He  seemed  quite  interested  in 
hearing  about  our  war,  of  which  he  knew 
scarcely  anything.  When  I  rose  to  take 
leave,  and  apologized  for  detaining  him  so 
long,  he  requested  me  again  to  be  seated, 
and  asked  me  where  I  was  going.  I  think 
his  knowledge  of  geography  was  too  lim- 
ited to  understand  the  route  I  propose  to 
take.  When  I  told  him  I  had  been  to 
Yeddo,  he  said:  "You  go  again  and  come 
see  me."    Perhaps  I  shall  do  so.    While  I 


59 


was  talking  with  him  his  officers  were 
standing  around,  but  none  presumed  to  be 
reated  in  t is  presence.  He  offered  me  an- 
other cigar,  shook  hands,  and  I  bowed  my- 
self out,  with  a  pleasant  impression 
of  the  only  one  of  the  Mikado's  nsar  rela- 
tives whom  I  expect  ever  to  see. 

After  my  interview  with  His  Excellency, 
his  cfficers  were  very  friendly  and  agree- 
able.     Their   Uniterm   and   arms    were  a 
hybrid  between  the  foreign  and  Japanese. 
They  were  very  curious  in  examining  my 
watch,  and  my  sword-cane  was  something 
entirely  new  to  them.  I  showed  them  some 
photographs  which  I  had  in  my  pocket,  and 
their  admiration   of  the   "moosmies,"   or 
young  ladies.    They  enjoyed  being  compli- 
mented on  the  good  fit  and  elegance  of  their 
European  uniforms   and  equipments.    The 
whole  Japanese  race   is  singularly  imita- 
tive, and  ready  to  copy  aud  adopt  foreign 
dress  and  customs.    The  late  civil  war  has 
done  much  to  hasten  the  alteration  in  uni- 
form of  all  the  military  class,  and  it  is  more 
than  probable  that  in  a  very  few  years  the 
time-honored  snd  by  no  means  unbecoming 
national  dress  will  no  more  be  seen  among 
the  military  officers.    The  non-combatant 
officials,  the  princes,  and  the  imperial  house- 
hold will  for  some  time  longer  resist  any 
change,  and  considering  that  the  Japaneee 
have  worn  the  same  style  of  dress  for  many 
centuries,  it  seems  almost  a  matter  of  regret 
that  it  should  pass  away. 

Etiquette,  through  all  grades,  is  more  ob- 
served In  Japan  than  in  almost  any  other 
country.  The  highest  nobles  might  pas3 
from  the  cradle  (if  cradles  were  used  in 
Japan,  which  they  are  not,)  to  the  grave, 
and  hardly  have  spoken  to  persons  of  low 
station.  All  service  is  done  in  a  posture  of 
humility,  and  no  trouble  is  undertaken  by 
any  man  that  his  servants  can  relieve  him 
of.  The  utmost  respect  and  reverence  is 
paid  to  the  Mikado  and  to  the  members  of 
his  family.  It  is  said  that  even  the  dishes 
used  in  serving  his  food  are  destroyed  im- 
mediately after,  for  fear  that  may  be  put  to 
some  profane  use. 

When  His  Excellency  passed  from  the 
hotel  to  his  carriage,  through  the  ranks  of 
his  officers  and  attendants,  every  head  was 
bowed,  the  lower  grade  of  servants  almost 
to  the  ground.  His  bearing  was  that  of  one 
accustomed  all  his  lifetime  to  such  homage. 
To  us  Americans  such  servility  on  the  part 
of  the  lower  ranks  inspires  no  awe,  although 
the  persons  to  whom  it  is  paid  may  have  de- 
scended from  a  long  line  of  sovereigns,  and 


60 


as  Mikado,  be  a  representative  of  heaven, 
himself  a  deity  of  high  rank,  in  whom  is 
centered  the  glory  and  veneration  of  a  na- 
tion of  thirty-five  millions  cf  ^people.  What 
is  it  but  an  exaggeration  of  the  honnge 
which  the  more  civilized  nations  of  Europe 
pay  to  the  nobility  and  royalty  "crowned 
by  the  grace  of  God  P>  W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  TEN. 


Excursion  to  Yeddo— A  Cosmopolitan 
Turnout— The  Asiastic  has  no  Rights 
the  African  is  Bound  To  Respect— An 
Undress  Uniform— Musicians  Without 
Melody— Blind  Beggars— A  State  Car- 
riage— Norimons  and  Ganges — A 
Traveling  Dentist— A  Fashionable 
Tea  House— Suggestion  to  Young 
Housekeepers— Grimalkin  Minus  the 
Tail— Fancy  Pigs— Cheap  and  Primi- 
tive Clothing— The  Unfortunate  Mr. 
Richardson — A  Family  Moving- 
Young  Sprigs  of  Aristocracy— Sinag- 
awa- Inside  the  Capital. 

Yeddo,  Japan,  December,  1870. 

This  famous  city  which  school  boys  class 
with  Pekin  and  London,  among  the  largest 
in  the  world,  and  for  over  four  hundred 
years  the  "capital  of  the  Tycoons,"  is,  ac  - 
cording  to  Japanese  chronology,  a  modern 
city.  Kamakura,  the-eeeon4  city,  with  its  s^<yye./C 
hundred  temples,  its  collossal  bronze  statue 
of  Buddha,  though  now  but  an  insignificant 
village,  dates  one  thousand  years  further 
back  than  Yeddo,  when  it  was  the  great 
Eastern  capital  of  the  empire.  The  Tycoon 
dynasty  removed  the  capital  to  Yeddo,  and 
under  their  rule  it  has  become  the  most 
populous  and  wealthy  city  in  Japan.  Its 
name  signifies  "the  river  gate,"  and  its  loca- 
tion, about  eighteen  miles  above  Yokohama, 
on  the  shores  of  the  bay  of  the  same  name, 
is  very  beautiful.  It  is  beyond  the  treaty 
limits  for  foreigners,  but  passes  can  readily 
be  obtained  from  the  government  upon  ap- 
plication through  the  foreign  consuls. 

Starting  from  Yokohama  for  the  excur- 
sion our  turnout  was  indeed  cosmopolitan, 
and  represented  the  four  great  continents. 
An  English  built  "trap"  was  drawn  by 
Japanese  ponies  and  driven  by  an  African 
Jehu,  whose  style  of  handling  the  ribbons 
seemed  to  us  quite  reckless.  I  did  not  feel 
much  compassion  for  the  ponies,  for  they 
are  perhaps  the  worst  horses  in  the  world ; 
iil-shaped  and  vicious,  given  to  kicking,  bit- 
ing, shying,  rearing  and  bolting.  Curiously 
enough,  except  on  the  breeding  grounds, 


the  horses  and  mares  are  carefully  kept 
apart.  For  two  hundred  miles  on  the  to- 
kaido,  or  imperial  road,  from  Osaka  to 
Yedde,  a  mare  is  never  seen,  and  on  other 
portions  of  the  high  road  horses  are  equally 
scarce.  But  our  driver,  while  lashing  his 
ponies  into  a  sharp  canter  along  the  narrow 
road,  in  many  places  crowded  with  pedes- 
trians,  seemed  to  take  delight  in  occasion- 
ally upsetting  the  baskets  of  the  street  ped- 
dlers and  trying  the  cracker  of  hie  whip  upon 
the  back  of  an  unfortunate  beggar,  who  was 
not  quick  enough  in  petting  out  of  the  way. 
A  betto  accompanied  u<>,  running  along  side 
the  horses  and  keeping  up  a  warning  cry  of 
"  Ah !  hay  !  Ah !  hay  Y>  to  clear  the  tract. 
He  started  with  a  fair  amount  of  clothing, 
but  gradually  threw  it  cffard  tcssed  it  to 
the  driver  until  nearly  reduced  to  first  prin- 
ciples, a  blue  handkerchief  tied  around  his 
head,  and  a  very  narrow  girdle  around  his 
loins.  This  undress  uniform,  however, 
showed  his  tattooing  to  the  best  advantage, 
his  body  being  completely  covered  with 
blue  and  red  dragGns,  birds,  fishes,  and  non- 
descript animals* 

Passing  through  the  native  town,  over  a 
handsome  stone  bridge  which  spans  the 
canal,  across  the  narrow  causeway  connec- 
ting Yokohama  with  the  main  land,  we 
reached  Kanagawa,  and  turning  into  the 
tokaido,  we  were  fairly  on  the  road  to  the 
capital,  which  is  a  continuous  street  nearly 
all  the  way  to  Yeddo,  linsd  with  shops,  tea 
houses  and  wayside  inns,  and  swarming 
with  travellers  on  foot  and  horseback,  ped- 
dlers, priests  and  beggars,  in  every  variety 
of  strange  costume.  We  insisted  that  Jehu 
should  lessen  his  speed  that  we  might  enjoy 
the  curious  scenes,  and  also  for  fear  of 
accident  to  the  little  j  half-naked  urchins 
who  insisted  upon  running  across  the  road 
in  front  of  our  horses,  to  their  eminent  peril 
of  life  and  limb.  Many  of  these  sights 
would  have  been  enigmas  to  me,  cut  for  the 
explanation  of  a  gentleman  accompanying 
us,  who  had  been  a  resident  of  Japan  for 
several  years. 

Here  comes  a  strolling  b?nd  of  musicians, 
who  make  up  in  noise  and  discord  what 
they  lack  in  music  and  melody,  and  we  are 
glad  to  get  past  theerowd  at  their  heels  and 
beyond  the  hearing  of  their  ear-splitting 
tunes.  Now  we  overtake  a  blind  beggar 
leaning  on  a  staff.  His  head  is  shaved  en- 
tirely smootn,  and  shines  like  a  white  ball. 
It  seems  to  me  that  in  this  country  all  the 
beggars  are  blind,  or  else  all  the  blind  are 
beggars.    There   are   no  good  oculists    in 


■■■ 


11,1 


6$ 


Japan,  and  eye  diseases  are  quite  common, 
Next  comes  a  6edan  chair  or  palanquin, 
called  here  a  norimon.  It  is  suspended  on 
the  shoulders  of  four  men,  two  before  and 
two  behind,  very  much  as  a  wild  beast 
might  be  slung  in  a  cage  (or  safe  transport. 
This  vehicle  is  elegantly  decorated  with 
lacquer  work  and  gilt,  and  its  bearers  wear 
a  sort  of  uniform.  It  is  doubtless  the  state 
carriage  of  some  high  dignitary,  as  it  is  ac- 
companied by  half  a  dozen  two-swordef 
yaconins  on  horseback.  It  passes  us  so 
quickly  that  we  can  barely  catch  a  glance  a 
the  occupant.  It  may  be  "my  lady"  out  for 
an  airing.  The  Cango  is  a  more  simple  ve- 
hicle, and  is  quite  frequently  met  on  the 
road.  It  is  carried  by  two  met],  and  looks 
like  a  wicker  basket  without  sides,  slung 
near  the  ground  upon  two  poles  ten  feet 
long.  It  is  used  for  long  journeys  by  the 
middle  class,  and  kept  lor  hire  at  the  inns 
on  the  main  road.  A  quilt  is  laid  on  the 
bottom,  and  with  legs  curled  up  under  him, 
in  what  seems  a  very  cramped  and  uncom- 
fortable position,  the  occupant  will  ride  for 
hours  or  even  whole  days  without  apparent 
fatigue  or  discomfort.  A  Japanese  wnen 
tired,  drops  on  his  heels  and  squats  with 
no  other  support  than  his  legs  and  heels  can 
afford,  just  as  naturally  as  a  European  drops 
into  a  chair.  It  is  said  that  as  soon  as  the 
baby  leaves  its  mothers  arms,  the  first 
thing  it  learns  is  not  to  walk  or  run,  but 
to  squat  on  its  heels  in  this  baboon  fashion. 

A  travelling  dentist  next  attracts  our  at- 
tention. He  indulges  in  the  rare  luxury  of 
a  beard,  and  is  quite  a  venerable  looking  old 
fellow.  His  instruments,  which  are  of  very 
primitive  discription,  doubtless  inflict 
the  full  amount  of  torture  which  may- 
be expected  for  a  fee.  They  are  (a-ried 
in  a  basket,  which  also  contains 
charms  as  well  as  medicines  of  various  de- 
scriptions for  sale.  As  a  class  the  members 
of  this  profession  in  Japan  are  not  above 
tricks  of  jugglery  and  necromancy,  and  will 
extract  teeth,  cut  out  corns,  and  even  de- 
scend to  amusing  the  children  with  tricks', 
like  swallowing  swords,  &c,  when  not  oth- 
erwise employed.  It  may  be  to  their 
credit,  however,  that  the  teeth  of  the  men 
and  also  of  the  women  before  marriage 
when  they  make  "open  sepulchers"  ot  their 
mouths  by  varnishing  ,  them  jet  black,  are 
remarkably  white  and  regular. 

Our  road  winds  along  towards  the  head 
of  the  bay^  and  occasionally  we  come  to 
spaces  on  the  roadside  unoccupied  by  houses 


64 


and  shops,  where  we  catch  glimpses  of  the 
water  beyond  fields  and  gardens  nicely  laid 
eut  and  r  ultivated  in  vegetables  and  fruits. 
When  about  half  way  we  reach  the  river 
Logo,  the  boundary  of  the  treaty  limits, 
within  which  foreigners  may  travel  with- 
out a  passport.  Here  is  a  famous  tea- 
house, and  while  our  horses  are  being 
changed  we  accept  the  invitation  to  alight 
and  refresh  ourselves  with  little  cups 
of  tea,  and  minute  dishes  of  sweet- 
meats and  confectionery.  The  garden  about 
the  inn  is  laid  out  with  much  taste  in  min- 
iature cascades,  fountains,  rockeries,  etc.,  a 
style  of  ornamental  gardening  of  which  the 
Japanese  are  very  fond.  The  proprietor 
has  added  to  the  attractions  of  the  place, 
by  employing  very  pretty  and  modest-ap- 
pearing girls  as  waitresses,  who  show  us 
into  a  room  about  twelve  feet  square,  which 
is  divided  off  from  adjoining  rooms  by  slid- 
ing paper  screens,so  arranged  that  to  accom- 
modate large  parties  all  these  rooms  can  be 
thrown  into  one.  Across  the  side  is  a  plat- 
form about  a  foot  high,  and  the  floor  is  cov- 
ered with  white  straw  mats,  very  soft  and 
perfectly  clean.  A  mat  and  a  fan  in  this 
country  are  the  units  of  measurement ;  the 
latter  being  about  a  foot,  while  mats  are  al- 
ways made  of  one  exact  size,  three  feet  by 
six.  In  building  houses,  rooms>re  arranged 
in  size  with  reference  to  Uhe  number  of 
mats  that  will  exactly  cover  the  floor.  The 
room  seems  empty,  but  according*  to  their 
ideas  it  is  completely  furnished.  ;  A  young 
couple]can  go  to  housekeeping  in  Japan  with- 
out making  large  bills  at  furniture  ware  - 
houses  and  upholsterers.  Two  or  three 
rooms  covered  with  soft  mats,  a  few 
cotton  -stuffed  quilts  for  bed  clothing, 
a  pan  to  cook  the  rice,  half  a  dozen 
laequer  caps  and  trays  to  eat  from,  a 
large  .tub  to  bathe  in,  and  a  charcoal 
brazier  to  warm  the  room  in  cold 
weather— this  completes  the  outfit  of  very 
respectable  young  people ;  no  chairs,  tables, 
and  array  of  furniture,  with  which  civilized 
people  crowd  their  rooms  to  the  great  detri- 
ment of  their  finances,  are  required.  Per- 
haps some  of  our  young  folk?  at  home,  who 
cherish  a  wholesome  horror  of  running  into 
debt,  may  long  for  a  country  of  such  Spar- 
tan simplicity  of  manners,  dress  and  house- 
keeping. While  at  the  tea-house  I  made 
friends  with  a  large  and  very  handsome  cat, 
but  expressed  pity  that  she  had  been  mu- 
tilated by  cutting  off  her  tail.  My  friend 
laughingly  informed  me  that  such  is  the 


65 


nature  ef  the  breed  of  cats  in  Japan. 
I  afterward  saw  hundreds  of  beautiful 
"tortoise-shell"  felines,  all  minus  the  "flag- 
staff." European  cats  with  Ion?  caudal  ap- 
pendages were  looked  upon  as  very  curious 
when  first  brought  to  the  country  by  for- 
eigners, and  much  sought  by  the  natives. 
Except  the  wild  boar  of  the  mountains, 
swice  were  unknown  in  J  apan.  But  lately, 
with  the  fondness  of  the  people  for  novel- 
ties, they  have  come  to  be  in  great  demand. 
A  wealthy  Daimio,  who  is  establishing  a 
farm  on  the  European  plan,  has  been  paying 
almost  fabulous  prices  for  pigs.  His  agent 
will  go  aboard  every  vessel  arriving  in  port 
in  search  of  fancy  styles  He  is  very  critical 
on  this  point,and  only  pure  white, with  sharp 
pointed  ears  and  curly  tails  will  answer. 
For  a  choice  specimen  of  this  description 
he  lately  paid  in  Yokohama  $150,  but  would 
not  take  a  lop-eared,  long-tailed  one  at  any 
price.  A  hundred  "Chester  county  whites" 
would  be  a  fortune  to  a  speculator  if  they 
should  arrive  before  the  "pig  fever"  sub- 
sides. 

But  cur  driver  is  getting  impatient.  We 
pay  our  bill,  only  one  600,  (twenty-five 
cents)  and  the  smiling  moosmies  bow  very 
low  and  gracsfully  as  they  sionara  us  away. 

We  walk  down  to  the  bank  of  the  river, 
show  our  passes  to  the  two  sworded  offi- 
cials, and  are  ferried  across  in  a  large  flat- 
boat,  on  which  men,  women  and  children, 
horses,  carriages  and  dogs  are  promis- 
cuously crowded  together.  On  the  boat  we 
notice  a  peasant  whose  coat  is  made  ol  long 
finely-split  reeds,  which  besides  the  advant- 
age of  being  cheap,  is  light,  warm 
and  nearly  waterproof.  A  countryman 
equipped  for  a  journev  in  winter  looks  as  if 
he  had  taken  the  cover  of  a  basket  for  his 
head  gear,  a  wisp  of  straw  for  his  sandals, 
and  a  bundle  of  reeds  for  his  cloak. 

Crossing  the  river,  we  are  again  on  the 
tokaido,  and  we  are  joined  by  two  mounted 
Yaconins,  which  are  furnished  by 
the  government  for  the  protec- 
tion of  strangers.  They  wear  the  usual 
complement  of  swords,  and  on  their  heads 
are  black  lacquered  hats,  sharp  pointed  at 
the  crown  and  secured  by  straps  under  the 
chin.  I  do  not  believe  that  a  foreigner,  con- 
ducting himself  properly,  needs  protection 
anywhere  in  Japan  from  the  unprivileged 
classes,  civilians,  merchants,  shop-keepers 
and  peasants.  They  are  as  harmless  and 
well-disposed  people  as  can  be  found  any- 
where in  the  world.    But  the  twc-3worded 


66 


gentry,  soldiers  and  hangen-on  of  the  feudal 
princes,  idle,  lszy  and  overbearing,  when 
full  of  saki,  are  sometimes  dangerous,  and 
have  given  foreigners  in  times  past  much 
trouble.  The  spot  on  the  road  is  here  pointed 
out  to  us  where  Mr.  Richardson,a  youngEng- 
lishman,was  killed  eight  years  ago.  He  was 
riding  with  two  other  gentlemen  and  a  lady 
towards  Yeddo,  and  met  by  a  band  of  Prince 
Satsuma's  retainers,  who  stopped  and  as- 
saulted them,  killing  Mr.  Richardson,  and 
severely  wounding  the  other  gentlemen  of 
the  party.  Few  foreigners  can  pass  this 
spot  without  a  sympathising  inter- 
est in  the  fate  of  this  unfortunate 
young  man,  who  was  just  on  the  eve 
of  his  departure  for  home,  afcer  a  long  so- 
journ in  the  East.  For  this  outrage  $100,- 
000  indemnity  was  demanded,  and  after 
much  evasion  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese, 
exacted.  The  murderers  not  being  given 
up  for  punishment,  the  town  of  Kagoslma, 
the  capital  of  Satsuma's  dominions,  was  laid 
in  ashes  by  a  British  fleet.  Thus  England 
takes  care  of  her  subjects  in  the  East,  and 
no  wonder  that  to  claim  that  nationality 
here  is  like  the  regis  of  a  "Roman  citizen," 
2,000  years  ago. 

A  ride  of  about  an  hour  brings  us  in  sight 
of  what  may  be  regarded  as  the  entrance  to 
Yeddo,  which  encircles  the  head  of  a  sickle- 
shaped  bay,  with  small  insular  forts  to  the 
right,  and  many  houses  and  temples,  and 
gradually  ascending  heights  covered  with 
stately  trees  to  the  left.  Slowly  we  make 
our  way  through  the  crowded  street,  and  as 
we  approach  the  capital  the  traffic 
on  the  road  increases.  Here  is  a  fam- 
ily of  the  poorer  class,  apparently  with 
all  their  worldly  goods,  leaving  the  city, 
the  wife  and  her  child  doubled  up  in  a  cango, 
the  husband,  with  two  boys  and  a  porter, 
carrying  the  heavier  baggage.  And  here 
we  pass  two  little  boys,  certainly  not  over 
eight  years  old.  They  belong  to  the  upper 
class,  for  each  one  wears  a  sword  stuck 
through  his  girdle,  nearly  as  long  as  the 
boy  himself.  It  would  seem  quite  impossible 
for  the  little  fellow  to  draw  his  weapon,  but 
the  young  sprig  of  aristocracy  struts  along 
with  an  important  air,  other  boys,  as  well 
as  men  of  lower  rank,  carefully  making 
way  for  him.  This  seems  most  absurd  and 
laughable  to  us,  but  here,  as  in  England 
only  a  century  ago,  to  wear  a  sword  is  the 
distinguishing  mark  of  a  gentleman. 

As  we  approach  Sinagawa,  the  great  sul- 
urb  a  mile  long  Immediately  before  Yeddo, 


<;; 


we  notice  that  the  tea  houses  and  saki  shops 
increase,  until  they  almost  line  the  way. 
Long  rows  of  fancy  colored  lanterns  hang  in 
front,  which  are  illuminated  at  night,  giv- 
ing the  street  a  gay  appearance.  But  this  is 
a  place  of  ill-repute  and  not  entirely  sate 
after  dark.  And  now  we  pass  through  a 
heavily  barred  gate,  and  are  within  the  city, 
although  three  miles  of  streets  must  yet  be 
passed  before  we  reach  our  stoppicg  place 
for  the  night.  W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  ELEVEN. 


A  Spanish  Legend— Wonderful  Progress 
in  Three  Years— Foreign  Devils  Now 
Treated  as  Equals— Curious,  but  Re- 
spectful—The  Mikado's  Castle— A  Pro- 
gressive Ruler  and  People— Residences 
of  the  Daimios— Mount  Atango— A 
Beautiful  View— A  Doubtful  Legend- 
Frequent  Fires  and  No  Insurance- 
Temples  of  Shiva— Cleanliness,  Not 
Reverence  Required  —  Catholic  or 
Buddhist— Christian  or  Pagan— An 
Enormous  Bell  —  Stone  Lanterns- 
Spirits  Over  the  Water  —  Pic-Nic 
Grounds. 

Yeddo,  Japan,  December,  1870. 
A  fruitful  soil,  a  fine  climate  and  an  in- 
dustrious people  seem3  to  be  all  that  can  be 
desired  lor  any  country  in  the  way  of  mate- 
rial elements  of  prosperity,  unless  they  are 
in  the  case  described  in  an  old  legend  of 
Spain,  which  tells  how  St.  Jago,  the  Patron 
Saint  of  Iberia,  went  to  his  master  and  begged 
some  special  favor  for  the  country  he  had 
adopted.  And,  first,  he  asked  for  a  fertile 
soil,  for  a  fine  climate,  for  brave  sons  to  de- 
fend, and  for  fair  daughters  to  grace  it, 
all  of  which  were  successively  grant- 
ed. Emboldened  by  his  success  ho  asked 
that  they  should  be  blessed  with  a  good 
government,  When  his  master,  according  to 
the  Spanish  version,  eitber  wearied  with  so 
much  importunity,  or  in  a  spirit  of  justice 
to  other  lands,  by  way  of  compensation  for 
so  many  rich  giftp,  replied  with  emphasis, 
"That  was  a  blessing  they  would  never 
have."  And  how  all  other  advantages 
have  been  neutralized  by  the  want  of  this 
one  crowning  gilt  is  shown  on  the  page  of 
history. 

Japan  under  the  servile  abuses  of  the  feu- 
dal system,  which  for  centuries  has  drawn 
the  life  blood  from  her  common  people,  may 
be  classed  with  Spain,  as  a  country  blessed 
with  every  material  element  of  prosperity, 
except  a  good  government.  But  a  change  is 
taking  placo  more  rapidly  than  ever  before 
In  the       history    of     this     nation.    But 


69 


a  few  years  ago,  it  was  a  common 
occurrence  in  the  broad  streets  of  Yeddo, 
for  the  retainers  and  men-at-arms,  follow- 
ing some  petty  Daimio,  as  he  passed  along, 
to  cry  to  the  people  " shita-nirioy"  down, 
down— and  as  if  by  magic,  a  wide  path  was 
opened,  and  every  head  was  bowed,  the 
body  disappearing  in  some  mavellous  way 
behind  the  legs  and  knees  of  its  owner. 
The  attendants,  bearing  their  masters'  en* 
feigns  and  badges,  stood  ready  to  punish 
with  instant  death  any  insolent  fellow  who 
dared  cross  their  line  of  march,  while  they 
scowled  fiercely  at  every  foreigner,  mutter- 
ing "  intruders,"  v<  barbarians,"  "  sorcer- 
ers," "  devils."  But  all  this  is  changed. 
Japanese  officials  of  the  highest  rank  now 
receive  the  foreigner  as  an  equal,  and  visi- 
him  as  a  friend.  Socially  the  people  have 
been  great  gainers  by  the  revolution.  Ex- 
cept in  some  remote  country  districts  the 
cry  of  "  shita-nirio''  is  no  longer  heard. 
The  people  have  cast  off  the  manners  of 
slaves  and  are  taking  to  themselves  the 
hearts  of  men,  and  before  many  years  they 
will  claim  a  voice  in  the  affairs  of  the 
country,  which  has  heretofore  been  ruled 
exclusively  by  the  military  class. 

In  all  our  excursions  about  Yeddo  we 
were  accompanied  by  Taconius,  and  the 
distances  from  one  point  ot  interest  to  an* 
other  were  so  great  that  we  were  com- 
pelled to  ride,  either  on  horseback  or  in  a 
carriage.  Foreigners  are  here  but  rarely 
seen,  and  as  we  alight  to  look  through  the 
shops,  the  people  gather  about  the  door,  al- 
most blocking  up  the  street,  and  follow  in  a 
long  trocp  behind.  They  are  very  curious 
n  examining  our  clothes  and  watching  our 
motions,  but  are  perfectly  quiet  and  re- 
spectful.  How  a  couple  of  Japanese,  in 
their  odd  costume,  would  be  chaffed  and 
hooted  at,  if  strolling  through  some  streets 
in  New  York. 

One  of  the  first  places  visited  by  us  was 
the  Castle  of  the  Tycoon,  now  occupied  by 
the  Mikado.  It  is  inclosed  by  three  sepa- 
rate walls  and  moats,  and  the  space  occu- 
pied by  the  official  buildings,  gardens  and 
parks  is  over  three  square  miles.  Few 
foreigners  have  Eeen  the  inside  of 
the  castle,  and  we  are  only  permitted 
to  pass  within  the  first  wall,  which 
is  of  stone,  perhaps  forty  feet  in  height,  and 
surrounded  by  a  broad  moat  with  beautiful 
sloping  banks  of  green  turf.  The  gates  are 
very  massive,  and  the  portals  of  hewn  stone, 
fitted,  not  cemented,  and  look  strong  enough 


ro 


to  withstand  anything  but  the  fire  of  heavy 
artillery.  Within  this  triple  tier  of  walls 
and  moats  are  extensive  pleasure  ground?, 
shrubberies,  gardens  and  dainty  little  tea 
houses.  In  one  place  the  Mikado  has  caused 
a  road  to  be  constructed  between  an  avenue 
of  trees  in  imitation  of  the  great  high  road 
of  the  Empire,  with  exact  models  of  the 
houses  occupied  by  the  peasants,  surrounded 
by  rice  fields,  that  he  may  see  how  his  peo* 
pie  live  and  how  rice  is  produced.  Here  he 
takes  his  daily  rides  and  walks,  and  occa- 
sionally goes  to  the  gardens  of  the  palace  by 
the  seashore,  and  sometimes  reviews  his 
troops  and  ships  of  war.  His  life  is  as  yet 
very  secluded,  but  he  is  gradually  breaking 
through  the  holy  imprisonment  in  which 
his  ancestors  have  lived  and  died.  He  is 
surrounded  by  men  of  advanced  and  liberal 
ideas,  who  encourage  him  in  his  desire  to 
learn  to  become  an  intelligent  ruler  of  an 
empire  of  forty  millions  of  people. 

Nothing  is  more  striking  to  the  eye  of  a 
Btranger  when  passing  from  the  commercial 
part  of  the  city  to  the  official  quarter  than 
the  vast  dimensions  of  all  the  residences  of 
the  feudal  Daimios.  Several  hundred  of 
these  princes,  each  with  five  or  ten  thousand 
armed  retainers  within  his  houses  ana 
grounds,  one  would  think, would  be  danger- 
ous guests  of  the  government,  and  under 
the  new  order  of  things  the  Mikado  has 
wisely  changed  the  law,  and  they  now  usu- 
ally reside  on  their  estates,  except  such  as 
hold  office  under  the  government.  But, 
perhaps,  being  less  under  espionage,  they 
may  plot  a  revolution  and  be  even  more 
mischievous  to  the  powers  that  be. 

From  the  castle  we  drive  about  a  mile  to 
Mount  Atango,  one  of  the  highest 
points  near  the  center  of  the  city,  so-called 
from  the  god  Atango,  whose  temple  once 
crowned  the  summit.  A  giddy  flight  of 
one  hundred  stone  step3,  called  Otoko  Zaka, 
or  men's  steps,  leads  directly  to  the  top,  to 
which,  however,  there  is  an  easier 
flight  winding  around  the  side,  called 
OnnaZaka,  or  Women's  Steps.  There  is  a 
tradition  of  a  young  Japanese  prince  who, 
many  years  ago,  was  dared  by  his  lady 
love,  as  the  price  of  her  hand,  to  ride  on 
horseback  up  and  down  this  steepest  flight, 
and  having  safely  performed  the  feat,  he 
claimed  and  received  his  bride.  It  may  be 
a  very  pretty  story,  but  unless  the  breed  of 
Japanese  horses  has  very  much  degenerated 
since  then,  I  must  consider  it  a  legend  and 
a  myth.    General  Putnam's   feat  at  Rox« 


71 


bury,  in  Revolutionary  times,  wss  but 
child's  play  compared  with  such  an  exploit 
as  tbis. 

From  the  summit  of  Atango  we  have  a 
grand  panoramic  view  of  the  city  and  bay. 
From  the  fiot  of  the  hill,  for  perhaps  two 
miiesdown  to  the  very  watei's  edge,  the 
countless  dwelling*  stretch  away  in  monot- 
onous straight  lines  of  gray-tile  J  roofs,  be- 
yond which  is  the  gradual  curve  of   the 
bay,    studded    with   the   now   di&m untied 
forts   upon   which    the   Tycoon's  govern- 
ment spent    millions,    in    the    vain    hope 
of  preventing  the  Western  barbarians  from 
approaching  the  cipital,  and  with  war  ships 
and  steamers  of  foreign  build,   but  bearing 
the  J  ipanese  fi  «g,  side  by  side  with  heavy 
native  janks  and  tUhing  craft.    Oa  our  left 
the  view  is  bounded  by  the  castle,    which 
stacd-i  in  the  midst  ot  the    palaces  of  the 
noble?,  like  a  prince  among    his    vassals,  a 
splendid  monument  of  feudality.    On    the 
north  and  east  as  far  as  the  eye    can    reach 
are  streets  and  houses,  with  here  and  there 
the  heavy  cornices  of  a  temple  surrounded 
by  groves  of  fine  old  trees.    At  intervals  on 
all  sides  are  high,    black,   wooden   watch 
towers,  which  are  used   during   the   fires, 
which   occasionally  con  ume  a  square   mile 
or  so  of  the  town.    Owing  to  the  inflamma- 
ble  material  of  which  the  houses  are  built, 
fires  are    very   frfquent   and    destructive. 
Fire  insurance  offices  are  unknown,    and  it 
is  said  that  every  Japanese  counts  upon  be- 
ing burnt  out  once  in  seven  or  eight   years, 
and  such  is  their  elasticity  of  temperament 
that  almost  before  the  embers  are  cool,  they 
quietly,    rapidly   and   good-humoredly  set 
about  rebuilding  their  homes.    These  fires 
ard  the  frequency  of  earthquakes  account 
for  the  fact  that  in  the  whole  of  Yeddo, 
giant  city  as  it  is,  there  are  very  few  large 
or  ancient  buildings  to  be  seen.    The  tem- 
ples being  located  in  large  groves,  and  the 
residences  of  the  Daimios  being  detached, 
escape  these  conflagrations.    But  the  charm 
of  the  scene  lies  not  in  the  architecture  of 
the  city,  but  in  the  gardens  and  trees;  for 
here  and  there  in  the  heart  of  the  town  are 
to  be  found  spots  which  seem  to  be  trans- 
sported  from  some  fair  country  scene,  where 
the  dark  pines  and  firs  are  relieved  by  the 
bright  green  of  the  bamboo,  and  the  came- 
lias  and  laurels  are  mixed  with  the  tree- 
fern,  the  sagopalm  and  the  fruitless  plain- 
tain. 

Atango  would  not  be  in  Japan  if  without 
its  tea  houses,  and  while  we  are  admiring 


the  view,  the  young  ladies  are  serving  us 
with  hot  tea,  fruits  and  other  light  refresh- 
ments. When  we  ask  "  how  much  ?  "  they 
shake  their  heads,  leaving  us  to  bestow  such 
gratuity  as  we  please,  which  is,  of  course, 
many  times  their  ordinary  charge. 

Our  next  visit  is  to  the  famous  temples  of 
Shiva,  the  burial  place  of  the  Tycoons.  There 
are  twelve  or  hiteen  separate  temples  within 
the  spacious  grounds,  overshadowed  by  very 
large  and  beautiful  trees.  Each  building  is 
surrounded  by  a  nicely  paved  courtyard, 
and  there  is  a  great  similarity  both  of  out- 
side decoration  and  arrangement  of  the  in- 
teriors. These  temples  and  the  grounds 
around  them  are  kept  in  perfect  order,  and 
are  richer  in  architectural  ornament  than 
any  others  we  have  seen  in  Japan.  A  flight 
of  fifteen  or  twenty  broad  stone  steps  leads 
to  the  main  entrance.  These  buildings  are 
all  of  wood,  heavily  framed,  with  room  left 
at  the  joints  for  the  whole  structure  to  os« 
cillate.  Some  are  very  old,  and  have  doubt- 
1  ess  withstood  macy  earthquake  shocks 
without  injury,  which  would  have  destroyed 
buildings  of  stone  or  brick.  The  cornices, 
doors,  and  outside  walls  are  most  elaborate- 
y  carved  in  fantastic  and  allegorical  designs, 
and  are  richly  gilt  or  lacquered.  An  old 
priest,  with  head  completely  shaved,  invites 
us  to  enter.  In  anticipation  of  a  fee,  per- 
haps, he  is  very  polite ;  and  from  regard  to 
the  sacredness  of  the  place  I  remove  my  hat, 
which  was  quite  unnecessary ;  but  he  points 
t  o  my  boots  as  the  objectionable  article  of 
dress.  Glancing  in  at  the  clean  straw  matting 
on  the  floor,  I  see  the  point.  It  is  not  from 
reverence,  as  in  a  Turkish  Mosque,  but 
from  motives  of  cleanliness  that  he  objects 
to  my  muddy  boots.  I  am  bound  to  see  the 
interior  of  the  temple,  and  I  pull  off  my 
boots— and  here  let  me  suggest  to  any  reader 
who  may  travel  in  Japan,  that  he  should 
always  carry  about  a  pair  of  slippers  in  his 
pocket.  There  are  large  bronze  images  of 
Buddha  upon  the  central  altar,  immense 
vases  of  the  6ame  material,  and  a  great  va  - 
riety  of  curiously  carved  figures  and  other 
decorations,  such  as  artificial  flowers,  elab« 
orately  wrought  candlesticks,  etc.  At  the 
sides  are  smaller  shrines,  where  the  gilt 
images  and  votive  ornaments  were  suggest- 
ive of  a  Roman  Catholic  church,  only  that 
the  symbol  of  the  cross  was  wanting.  There 
were  the  same  "bell  and  book"  priests  in 
their  robes,  behind  them  rows  of  chanting 
choristers,  the  same  burning  of  incense  and 
repeating  ot  prayers  and  rituals  in  an  un- 


73 


known  tongue— unknown  not  only  to  us  but 
to  the  crowd  of  worshippers  around.  The 
great  similarity  between  the  Catholic  and 
Buddhist  form  of  worship  prompts  the  sug- 
gestion that  one  must  have  been  borrowed 
from  the  other— I  will  not  say  which— but 
to  the  devout  Catholic  the  one  is  of  apos- 
tolic or  heavenincpired  origin,  while  the 
other  is  the  "devil's  CDunterfeit." 

Outside  the  temple,  and  near  by,  is  a  bel- 
fry, open  on  all  four  sides  and  ornamented 
in  the  same  style  as  the  larger  buildings. 
In  it  hangs  an  enormous  bell,  covered  with 
Japanese  inscriptions,  shaped  like  a  minnie 
bullet.  It  is  eight  or  nine  inches  in  thick- 
ness, and  as  I  touch  it  with  my  cane  it  gives 
forth  a  very  sweet  and  melodious  sound. 
It  has  no  tongue,  but  is  struck  by  a  wooden 
beam  suspended  by  iron  chains.  Some  of 
these  bells  are  very  large,  and  one  is  men- 
tioned by  an  old  writer  on  Japan,  at  Miako, 
said  to  be  five  times  larger  than  the  great 
bell  at  Moscow. 

In  the  court  yards  surrounding  the 
temples  are  long  rows  of  carved 
stone  pillars,  six  to  ten  feet  in  height. 
These  are  lanterns  and  are  the  votive 
offerings  of  rich  devotees.  Every  year  in 
the  month  of  August  the  spirits  of  the  dead 
are  supposed  to  visit  these  sacred  shrines. 
They  come  from  somewhere  over  the  sea, 
and  are  welcomed  with  a  grand  illumina- 
tion, music  and  curious  ceremonies.  After 
spending  the  night  in  the  sacred  precincts 
of  the  temples,  they  are  escorted  at  early 
dawn  by  long  processions  of  priests  and 
people  to  the  water's  edge,  and  launched  in 
miniature  paper  boats  to  float  off  to  the 
great  unknown  regions  beyond  the  sea. 

Besides  the  temples  of  Shiva,  which  are, 
perhaps,  the  finest  in  Japan,  we  visited 
several  others  in  the  neighborhood,  all 
located  in  large  parks  and  surrounded  by 
magnificent  trees.  Some  of  these  grounds 
comprise  hundreds  of  acres,  and  are  great 
places  of  resort  for  pleasure-seekers  and 
picnic  parties,  of  which  the  Japanese  are 
very  fond;  and  it  would  certainly  be  diffi- 
cult to  find  spots  more  lovely  for  a  day's 
pleasure  and  recreation. 

Other  interesting  features  of  our  excur- 
sions about  Yeddo— our  Visits  to  the  thea- 
tres, shops  and  bazaars,  bath-houses  and 
market  places,  would  occupy  too  much 
time  and  space  to  describe  here. 

W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  TWELVE. 


From  Yokohama  to  Hiogo  —  The  noon 
Temple— Osaca— The  Venice  of  Japan 
—Manufacture  of  Paper  and  Its  Use  — 
Paper  Handkerchiefs  and  Pillow- 
cases—The  Inland  Sea— Outlines  of 
a  Picture— Simotiasaki— The  Gate- 
way of  Rock— Entrance  to  Nagasaki 
—An  Episode  in  History— Japanese 
Jnnk— Deciina— Fine  Porcelain— Arts 
and  Manufactures— Departure  for 
China— Sionara,  Japan. 

Nagasaki,  Japan,  Dscember,  1870. 
The  route  from  Yokohama  to  Shanghai,  a 
distance  of  about  850  miles,  is  down  the 
coast  of  Nippon  to  Hiogo,  which  lies  at  the 
entrance  of  the  fimous  Inland  Sea;  theme 
250  miles  through  this  wondeiful  strait— 
which  is  rather  a  succession  of  inland  lakes, 
connected  by  narrow  channels,  than  a  sea— 
to  Nagasaki,  where,  leaving  Japan,  we 
strike  across  the  Yellow  Sea  to  the  east 
coast  of  China. 

A  branch  of  the  Pacific  mail  line  makes 
three  trips  a  month  each  way,  and  is  com- 
posed of  American-built  steamers  of  the 
sama  style,  but  not  so  large,  as  the  levia- 
thans that  cross  the  Pacific. 

Hiogo,  our  first  stopping  place,  is  350 
miles  from  Yokohama  by  water,  though 
but  200  by  land,  and  is  on  the 
tckaido,  or  imperial  road,  which  traverses 
the  whole  empire.  It  is  one  of  the  four 
treaty  ports  open  to  !.  foreign  trade,  and  is 
rapidly  increasing  in  business  and  import- 
ance. Oar  steamer,  the  Costa  Rica,  came 
to  anchor  early  in  the  morning  in  front  of 
the  town,  and  having  the  whole  dav  to  re- 
main in  port,  we  improve  the  time  by  visit- 
ing the  places  of  interest  in  the  vicinity. 
The  town  is  built  along  the  shore  of  a  beau- 
tiful bay,  with  a  oackgrcucd  of  mountains 
rising  by  a  gradual  slope  nearly  two  thou- 
sand feet  ab.ve  the  water.  Ssveral  fresh 
wAter  streams  fn  m  this  range  fljwdown 
iRto  the  harbor,  which  the  Japanese  nave 
availed  thera?ev3s  of  for  irrigating  the  rice 
lands,  grain  fields  and  garden  pa'cies  in  the 
rear  cf  the  to*n,  acd  .for  seme  distance  up 
the  mountain  side.  Seven  miles  up  the 
iteep  path,  and  almost  at  the  summit,  is  the 


"Moon  Temple,"  a  very  curious  and  inter- 
eating  specimen  of  a  Buddhist  sanctuary, 
which  well  repays  the  wearisome  climb,  for 
it  can  only  be  reached  on  foot,  with  a  mag- 
nificent view,  which  stretches  away  for 
many  miles,  over  land  and  water,  islands, 
bays  and  harbors,  dotted  with  junks  and 
fishing  craft.  At  our  feet  is  the  town, 
which  seems  so  near  that  we  can  almost  toss 
a  stone  into  its  strests.  About  half  way  up 
a  little  streamlet  issues  from  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  dancts  down  from  rock  to 
rock,  until  in  one  fall  of  one  hundred  ?nd 
fifty  feet  it  is  lost  in  spray,  like  a  miniature 
Yo-semite  cascade. 

Hiogo  is  the  port  of  the  foreign  trade  ot 
Osaca,  twenty  miles  distant,  on  a  river 
which  empties  into  the  bay,  Osaca  is  one 
of  the  great  cities  of  the  empire,  with  a 
population  of  half  a  million.  This  city  is 
the  center  of  a  very  fertile  and  populous 
district,  famous  for  its  manufactures  cf  silk, 
sugar,  coiton  goods  and  paper.  It  is  trav- 
ersed by  a  windiDg  riv:r  and  numerous 
canals,  over  which  there  are  about  lour 
hundred  bridges,  all  of  stone,  and  some  of 
great  architectural  beauty  and  elaborate 
workmanship.  It  is  the  Venice  of  Jipan, 
and  a  favorite  dwelling  place  of  the  great 
Princss  or  Daimios,;;whose  estates  are  in 
this  part  of  the  empire.  The  paper  made 
here  is  remarkably  tough  and  in  great  va- 
riety. The  material  used  is  the  inner  bark 
of  the  mulberry  tree.  Chinese  and  India 
paper  is  made  of  bamboo,  and  is  much  in- 
ferior in  strength  and  finish  to  that  of  Ja- 
pan, whew" it  fcuppiies  for  many  domestic 
uses  the  placa  of  linen  ana  cotton.  From 
paper  the  Japanese  make  a  very  ingenious 
imitation  of  ieather,  and  pockit  handker- 
chiefs of  the  material  ere  universally  used. 
A  roll  of  paper  handkerchiefs  is  always  seen 
in  the  girdle  of  a  Japanese  lady.  The  nar- 
row wooden  blocks  upon  wbich  they  rest 
their  heads  at  night  are  covered  with  a  pad- 
ding ot  several  thicknesses  of  paper,  re- 
moving the  outside  ote  every  morning 
affords  a  clean  p;ilow  case  without  the 
trouble  of  washing. 

Leaving  the  harbor  of  Hiogo  we  enter  the 
inland  sea,  which  fcas  been  deicribid  by 
every  traveler  in  such  glowing  terms,  that 
all  I  can  ?ay  in  the  way  of  descriptions  of 
its  surpassing  beauty  of  fccsnery  seems  but  a 
repetition  of  what  others  have  said  before. 
The  lamented  Bishop  King?iey,  whom  none 
will  accuse  of  exaggeration,  says,  "I  have 
and  admired  the  farfamad  Loch  Lo- 


mond  in  Sco?-Mn<?,  but  it  was  meagre  com- 
pared with  the  gorgeous  beauty  of  this  inland 
sea.  If  we  could  put  twenty  Loch  Lomonds 
together,  and  for  every  beautiful  mountain 
on  the  margin,  and  every  lovely  island  in 
the  placid  waters,  plant  a  hundred  moun- 
tains and  a  hundred  islands,  we  should  ap- 
proximate the  wealth  and  beauty  seen  in 
these  heathen  waters." 

Carleton,  in  his  charming  "New  Way 
Round  the  "World,"  exhausts  his  vocabu 
lary  of  glowing  prose  description,  and  can 
only  express  bis  admiration  of  what  he  cills 
"the  indescribable  glories  of  this  inland 
sea,"  by  a  beautiful  poetic  quotation,  the 
last  line  of  which  is, 

"Hitter,  come  Mther  and  see!" 

Now,  I  doubt  whether  I  can  conscien- 
tiously advise  my  friends  to  come  eight 
thousand  miles  to  witness  anything,  how- 
ever grand,  or  picturesque,  or  beau- 
tiful in  the  way  of  natural 
scenery,  but  I  may  safely  say  that 
in  going  "round  the  world,"  I  expect  to 
find  nowhere  else  such  a  combination  of  all 
the  elements  of  beauty,  such  a  feast  of  the 
senses  and  delight  of  the  eyes,  as  here. 
Take  the  thousand  isles  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
the  grand  mountains  cf  the  S^guenav,  mul- 
tiplied without  limit,  and  extending 
through  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of 
smooth  and  placid  water— a  bright  sun  and 
a  pure  atmosphere,  wooded  hills  and  shaded 
ravines,  a  pretty  village  nestling  in  every 
narrow  valley,  fishing  boats  and  sails  almost 
innumerable,  and  ybu  have  the  outline  of  a 
pictuie  so  beautiful  as  to  be  an  excuse  for 
any  rhapsody  of  description.  I  know  that 
we  sometimes  weary  of  other  people's  rap- 
tures in  describing  BCeitery,  even  when  we 
ourselves  are  not  insensible  to  such  emo* 
tions  when  the  scenes  themselves  are  be- 
fore us;  and  so  I  leave  the  unrivalled  beau- 
ties of  this  inland  sea  to  be  fully  realized 
and  appreciated  by  sixii  of  my  resders  as 
may  come  after  me  in  what  will,  in  a  few 
years,  be  a  b  :atcn  track  roin'!  the  world. 

At  sunset  we  p;  ss  through  its  v 
gateway— a  narrow  strait,  called  Simona- 
sftk;.  between  the  islands  of  Nippon  and 
Kiusin,  past  a  town  of  the  same  n*roe  con- 
taining about  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  Daimio  who  owns  this  place  thou^t 
proper,  a  few  years  ago,  to  levy  toll 
upon  the  foreign  as  well  as  the  immense 
native  flret  that  passed  through  this  narrow 
gata,  but  was  quickly  brnght  to  his  senses 
by  a  descent  of  the  w? r  ship?  of  the  foreign 


77 


allied  powers,  who  sunk  his  gunboats,  dis- 
mounted hid  cannon,  and  threatened  to  burn 
the  town  if  his  piratical  attempts  were  re- 
newed. 

All  night  we  coasted  along  the  western 
shore  of  Kiusin,  and  soon  after  daylight  we 
passed  close  to  a  remarkable  gateway,  which 
lies  directly  in  our  track.  It  is  formed  of 
two  tall  masses  of  granite,  fifty  feet  apart, 
and  perhaps  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  height, 
and  pointed  at  the  top.  Between  these  two 
pillars,  by  some  convulsion  of  nature,  is 
lodged  an  immense  boulder  of  rock.  The 
water  is  deep  on  all  sides  at  the  base  and  be- 
tween these  pillars,  and  through  this  naut* 
ral  gateway  a  fleet  might  sail  in  grand  pro- 
cession. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning  when  we 
steamed  in  towards  the  entrance  of  Naga- 
saki harbor,  which  to  ©ur  eyes  seemed  com- 
pletely hidden  from  view.  After  twisting 
and  turning  round  one  island  after  another 
the  long  bay  became  visicle  with  the  town 
at  the  further  end,  clustering  at  the  foot  of 
a  range  of  hills,  and  in  some  places  creeping 
up  the  terraced  side*  nearly  to  the  summit. 
The  bay  is  most  spacious,  and  so  completely 
land-locked  as  to  be  secure  against  the  most 
violent  gales  or  typhoons.  Just  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  inner  harbor  we  pass  close  to 
an  island  of  perhaps  one  hundred  acres, 
witn  a  steep,  rocky  precipice  toward  the 
lea,  and  a  gradual  slope  on  the  opposite  sida 
next  to  the  main  land.  This  little  islet, 
which  now  looks  so  bright  and  pleasant  in 
the  early  morning  sun,  is  said  to  be  the 
place  where  twenty  thousand  native  Chris- 
tians were  slaughtered,  being  driven  up  the 
sloping  bank  and  forced  over  the  edge  of  the 
precipice  to  be  dashed  upon  the  rocks  a  hun- 
dred feet  below.  The  same  year  when  the 
last  of  the  Roman  Catholic  converts  were 
buried  under  the  ruins  of  the  captured  city 
of  Nagasaki,  or  hurled  from  this  rocky  islet, 
just  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  a  few 
exiles  landed  on  Pi y mouth  Rock,  in  a  newly 
discovered  continent,  where  they  were  des- 
tined to  plant  the  seeds  of  a  Protestant  faith 
and  found  a  great  Protestant  empire.  And 
it  was  the  descendants  of  these  Pilgrim 
Fathers  who,  two  centuries  later,  were  the 
first  among  western  nations  to  brin?;  a 
lapsed  Heathen  raae  once  more  within  the 
circle  of  Christian  communion,  and  invite 
them  anew  to  take  their  place  in  the  family 
of  civilized  nations. 

In  the  harbor  of  Nagasaki  we  find  a  large 
fleet  of  foreign  vessels,  besides  almost  innu- 


78 


merable  native  junks.  To  show  how  rap- 
idly the  Japanese  government  is  adopting 
western  ideas,  especially  in  methods  of 
war-fare,  I  count  no  less  than  six  trim- 
loofcing,  foreign-built  gunboats,  carrying 
the  Imperial  fiig,  wh'cb  in  appaarance 
would  not  discredit  any  navy  in  the  world. 
As  we  drop  anchor  wi'hin  a  few  yards  ot 
one  of  the  trading  junks,  it  may  be  inter- 
esting to  describe  the  appearance  of  this 
curious  specimen  of  n*v»l  architecture. 
For  many  eentuiies  boat  and  f-hip  building 
have  stood  still  on  account  of  laws  prescrib- 
ing the  shape  and  sz?  ot  all  water  craft. 
The  largest  native  ships  are  rarely  over  one 
hundred  tons  burden,  and  quite  uc fit  for 
long  voyages.  The  policy  of  the  govern- 
ment has  been  to  prevent  a  bold,  sea  faring 
population  from  hazarding  voyages  beyond 
their  own  coasts,  and  to  visit  foreign  coun- 
tries was  especially  forbidden.  The  junk 
has  but  one  mast,  which  is  a  little  aft  of  the 
centre,  and  but  one  large  square  sail,  at- 
tachea  to  the  yard,  which  is  raiser!  or  low- 
ered by  a  windlass  in  the  cabin.  From  the 
foot  of  the  mast  to  the  stern,  the  de:k  rises 
at  an  angle  wf  fifty  degrees,  and  the  long 
curved  helm  lock*  like  the  proboscis  of  a  co- 
lossal elephant.  It  is  a  mystery  how  sail- 
ors can  keep  their  feet  in  stormy  weather 
on  such  an  inclined  plane  as  the  quarter 
deck  of  this  craft.  They  are  built  with  open 
stern?,  and  strong  bulwarks  to  keep  out  the 
water,  and  the  rudder,  which  is  very  large 
and  unwieldy,  is  almost  out  of  sight.  Being 
flat-bjttomed,  without  centre-boards,  they 
can  sail  before  the  wind  with  great  rapid- 
ity, but  on  the  wind  they  go  sadly  to  lee- 
ward. They  have  certain  marks  on  the 
sails  which  look  like  patches,  designating 
the  owners  and  the  sec' ion  where  they  be- 
long. From  the  high  deck  ol  our  steamer  I 
can  overlook  the  proceedings  on  board  our 
neighbor.  Sicks  of  rice  are  piled  so  high 
m  dhips,  that,  being  covered  top  and  sides 
with  matting,  it  locks  like  a  small  house. 
This  craft  is  evidently  the  home  of  a  large 
family,  tor  the  skipper,  his  wifa  and  nearly 
a  fiozen  children  are  squatted  on  deck,  par- 
taking of  their  morning  meal  of  rice  and 
fi3h.  Forward  I  see  four  or  five  sailors 
smoking  the  pipe  of  idleness.  Their  long 
robes  look  inconvenient  sis  the  "toggery"  of 
a  sailor;  but  when  occasion  requires  they 
have  a  way  of  slipping  out  of  their  clothes, 
and  appearing  in  a  costume  well  adapted  to 
the  agile  feats  of  their  profession,  but  rather 
shocking  to  the  unaccustomed  eyes  of  west- 
ern barbarian. 


70 


We  laud  at  the  stone  jetty  of  Decima,  a 
email  island  in  front  of  the  town,  separated 
from  the  main  land  by  a  wide  csnal,  where 
for  centuries  the  Dutch  cinsented  to  be 
penned  up  and  submit  to  every  indignity, 
while  they  monopolized  the  whole  foreign 
trade  of  Japan.  The  street  through  which 
we  passed  is  lined  with  their  warehouses 
now  going  to  decay,  while  a  new  era  of  pro- 
gress and  advancement  is  opening  to  the 
country.  The  canal  is  now  Fpanned  by  a 
wide  stone  bridge,  leading  to  broad,  well- 
paved  streetp,  through  which  we  strol), 
making  our  last  purchases  of  "cunop."  This 
place  has  a  population  of  over  ICO.OOO,  and 
is  famous  for  its  manufacture  of  fine  por- 
celain, a  few  specimens  of  which  I  had  sp?n 
in  Yeddo.  We  visit  several  large  shops 
where  the  display  of  beautiful  vases  and 
china  ware,  elegant  in  design,  and  decorated 
in  good  taste,  surpassed  anything  to  be  seen 
even  in  Paris.  The  teacups  are  all  covered 
to  retain  the  aroma  of  the  fragrant  leaf,  and 
are  as  delicate  and  fragile  as  egg  shells.  If 
I  were  only  a  few  thousand  miles  nearer 
home,  I  should  be  tempted  to  send  a  large 
consignment  of  this  beautiful  ware  to  my 
friends  on  Superior  street. 

It  is  surprising  that,  with  the  remarkable 
skill,  ingenuity  and  taste  the  Japanese  show 
in  some  branches  of  the  mechanic  arts 
and  manufactures,  in  the  higher  de- 
partments of  art  they  are  so  rude 
and  unskilled.  In  their  porcelain, 
bronz?,  lacquer-ware,  temper  of  s*eel  for 
sword  blades,  and  fabrics  of  silk  and  paper, 
they  rival  any  nation  of  the  civilized  world. 
But  painting,  sculpture  and  mu9ic  have  few 
votaries.  In  knowledge  of  perspective  they 
excel  the  Chinese,  but  take  low  rank  com- 
pared with  Western  nations.  Printing  in 
colors  from  blocks  of  wood,  with  graduated 
ihading,  like  our  lithographic  color  print- 
ing, has  been  known  for  age3;  but  their 
drawing  is  dsfective,  and  the  execution 
rude.  Their  books  of  highly-colored  prints 
are  curious  and  interesting  only  as  illustra- 
tive of  their  life,  costumes  and  scenery. 
Their  caiving  in  ivory  of  figures  and  ani- 
mals are  skillful,  but  said  to  be  inferior  to 
the  Chinese;  and  in  all  these  there  is  a  ten- 
dency towards  the  grate  que.  It  is  easy  to 
see  that  the  pursuit  of  the  arts  and  sciences 
requiring  actual  labor  is  r?ot  common  among 
the  higher  classes,  while  to  the  lower  ranks 
of  society  no  inducements  of  reward?,  hon- 
ors and  competition  are  held  out  for  excel- 
lence in  these  accomplishments. 


so 


"Street  life"  in  Nagasaki,  as  everywhere 
else  in  J.^pan,  is  full  of  interest,  and  we 
linger  until  the  warning  gun  from  the 
'•Costa  Rica"  urgas  U9  to  re-embark.  "We 
steam  out  of  this  beautiful  bay,  winding 
around  the  islands  that  so  effectually  hide 
its  entrance,  and  now  in  the  open  sea  we 
?hape  our  course  due  west  for  China 
We  look  back  upon  the  hills,  not  vine-clad, 
but  terraced  and  cultivated  in  crops  of  more 
practical  value,  and  watch  the  fertile  val- 
leys that  shelter  an  industrious,  contented 
and  happy  people,  as  they  fade  from  sight  in 
tbe  distance.  Japan  is  a  country  with  a 
future.  Nature  ha9  been  lavish  in  her  gifts 
of  a  fertile  soil  and  a  genial  climate.  We 
wonder  whether  the  change  now  so  rapidly 
spreading  in  the  manners,  customs  and  life 
of  her  psopla  will  result  in  making  them 
more  virtusus,  happy  and  contented. 

With  many  regrets  at  parting,  and  car- 
rying with  me  pleasant  memories  of  the  few 
weeks  spent  in  this  interesting  country.  I 
can  only  say  "Sionara,  Japan.*' 

W.  P.  F. 


Approach  to  the  Flowery  King* 
dom-ihe  Yellow  Sea.-shaughal— 
The  Astor  House-John  Chinamau 
at  Home  «-•  Street  Sights— The 
Wheelbarrow  a  Chine§e  Carriage- 
Opium  «lu Iks  and  Custom  House 
Off icials— Government  of  China— 
Squeeze— How  Taxes  are  collected 
—Competitive  Examinations- 
Qualifications  for  Office  in  China 
—The  Tai-ping  Rebellion— General 
Ward. 

NUMBER  THIRTEEN. 


My  first  impressions  of  this  great  empire, 
containing  one  third  the  whole  population 
of  the  globe,  were  not  altogether  favora- 
ble. The  lour  hundred  miles  of  "Yellow 
Sea"  that  separate  it  from  Japan  has  a  rep- 
utation almost  as  bad  as  the  English  Chan- 
nel. One  may  escape  tea-sickness  during  a 
month's  voyage  across  the  Pacific,  but  here 
the  rough  weather  and  short,  chopping 
seas  are  pretty  certain  to  bring  him  down . 
When  one  hundred  miles  away  our  ap- 
proach to  the  cosst  was  indicated  by  tbe 
color  of  the  water  from  the  sediment  ot  tfce 
great  Yangtss  River  which,  rising  in  the 
Himalayas,  three  thousand  miles  away, 
flaws  through  the  heart  of  China  and  emp- 
ties into  the  sea  to  which  its  discolored 
waters  give  the  name.  la  size  and  extent 
of  territory  which  it  drains,  the  Yangtze 
should  rank  with  the  Amazon  and  Miss-is 
sippi.  But  both  these  together  cannot  com- 
pare with  this  great  artery  of  China  in  the 
population  which  crowd  its  banks,  and  the 
commerce  it  bears  upon  its  bosom. 

The  mouth  of  the  Yangtse  strongly  re- 
sembles the  lower  Mississippi.  Ths  shores 
are  a  dead  level  for  nearly  a  hundred  miles 
througn  the  delta  which  its  waters  nave 
formed,  and  are  dyked  to  prevent  inunda- 
tion. It  is  so  wide  that  for  thirty  miles  but 
one  shore  is  visible  from  the  deck  of  our 
steamer.  As  it  gradually  narrows  I  catch 
glimpses  of  frequent  dwellings,  neatly 
whitewashed  and  thaiched  with  bamboo, 
surrounded  with  groves  of  bananas  and 
plantains.  A  dense  population  is  indicated 
by  the  number  of  people  working  in  the 
fields,  which  are  cultivated  down  to  the 
water's  edge.  Tni3  rich  alluvial  soil  is  de- 
voted to  rice  and  grain,  not  a  foot  of  land  is 
wasted,  and  even  the  mounds  under  which 
dead  are  burried  are  green  with  crops  cf 
millet  or  wheat.  Hundreds  of  junks  are  a*. 
anchor,  or  sailing  up  and  down  the  yellow 
current,  thousands  cf  fishing  boats  are 
closer  in  shore,  and  though  the  steam  whit- 
tle is  constantly  sounded  as  a  warning,  col- 
lisions seem  at  times  inevitable. 

These  Chinese  navigators  have  the  facui- 
ty  of  running  across  the  bows  of  a  steamer, 


K 


and  calculating  their  distance  so  exactly,  as 
usually  to  escape  being  run  down.  Some- 
times, however,  they  are  sunk  and  set  up 
such  exhorbitant  claims  for  the  loss  of  their 
craft  that  they  are  accused  of  purposely 
cai  6ing  their  destruction. 

Fifty  miles  up  tne  Yangtse  we    turn  to 
the  left  into   the   Woosung,  a  clear  stream 
three  quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  upon  which 
about   twelve  miles   above   its   confluence 
with  the  Yangtse  is  built  the  city  of  Shang- 
hai, the  great  ioreign   commercial  mart  of 
Northern  China.    The  name  suggests  to  us 
all  that  great,  coarse,  overgrown  chicken, 
which  (the  word  not  the  fowl)  was  in  every- 
body's mouth  while  the  **hen  fever'  raged. 
It  is  unfortunate  that  so  fine  a  city  should 
be  associated  in  our  minds   with  so    awk- 
ward a  bird.    As  we  approach  it  from  the 
water  the  magnificent  buildings  occupied  by 
the    merchants,  which   face  the   bund   or 
praya,  a  wide  avenue  aloDg  the  river,  give 
it    a     very    imposing     appearance.     We 
ome  to  anchor  and  are   immediately  sur- 
rounded by  a  flaet  of  sampans  or  passenger 
boats,  and  are  quickly  landed  at  the  j  ;tty, 
where  a  fierce  onslaught  on  my  baggage  is 
made  by  a  score  of  coolies.    It  is  a  war  of 
word3  in  which  I  can  take  no  part,  and  I 
stand  quietly  by  and  let  them  fight  it  out. 
After  fifteen    minutes  of  fierce  conflict,  I 
follow  the  six  victorious  "Celestials,"  who 
have  slung  my  trunk  and  satchels  on  bam- 
boo poles,  to  the  Astor  House,  not  a  six- 
storied  granite  hotel,  but  a  modest  building 
of  two  stories,  with  a  garden  in  front,  as  un- 
Lke  its  great  namesake  as  cm  well  be  im- 
agined.   Why  called  the  "Astor  Hou?e"  I 
have  been  unable  to  ascertain,  for  it  is  kopt 
in  the  English  style  by  a  full-blooded  John 
Bull.    After  seeming  a  comfortable  room  I 
stroll  alorig   the   bund,  over  a   handsome 
iron  bridge  that  spans  a  creek  crowded  with 
boats,  and  begin  to  realize  that  I  am  indeed 
in  the  "fljwery  kingdom,"  and   receiving 
my  first  impressions  of  John  Chinaman  at 
home.    The  streets  are  full  of  people,  cook- 
ies carrying  heavy  burdens  on  poles  across 
their  shouldiers,  or  slung  between  them  in 
pairs,     sedan-chairs  of  light    bamboo,  be- 
hind the  silken  curtams  of  which  are  stolid 
Chinamen  or  bright-eyed  "Canton   girls," 
Europeans  dashing  along  in  two-wheeled 
traps  behind  diminutive  ponies,  who  make 
up  in  speed  what  they  lack  in  size.    But  the 
conveyance  par  excellence  of  Shanghai  seems 
to  be  the  wheelbarrow,  of  which  there  are 
thousands  here,   though  entirely  unknown 


S3 


in  Canton  or  any  part  of  southern  China. 
This  machine  must  be  the  germ  of  the  Irish 
jaunting  car.  It  carries  two  persons,  who 
sit  back  to  back  on  a  narrow  board  on  eith- 
er side  of  the  wheel,  with  one  foot  thrust 
into  a  rope  stirrup.  The  "propeller" 
pushes  along  his  Equeaking  vehicle, 
whose  wooden  axle  is  innocent  of 
any  lubricator,  assisted  in  bearing  up  the 
weight  by  a  leathern  strap  across  his  shoul- 
ders. With  but  one  passenger  he  is  obliged 
to  tilt  it  up  very  awkwardly  on  one  side  to 
keep  the  equilibrium.  Since  the  wheelbar- 
row has  became  a  recognized  institution  in 
the  foreign  quarter  of  the  city  various  de- 
vices have  been  suggested  for  improving  its 
construction.  But  John  is  slow  in  adopting 
foreien  innovations,  and  especially  obstinate 
in  adhering  to  the  dismal  squeak  of  his  ma- 
chine. No  amount  of  persuasion,  short  of 
a  municipal  ordinance  enforced  by  the 
dreaded  policeman,  can  induce  him  to  apply 
a  little  oil  to  the  axle.  It  is  enough  for  him 
that  his  father  and  grandfather  used  no 
grease,  and  the  dismal  wail  of  a  score  of 
machines  is  music  in  his  ears.  As  I  stand 
watching  these  novel  velocipedes  go  by 
loaded  with  Chinese  of  both  sexes  I  am  re- 
minded of  the  nursery  ballad,  but  here  the 
roads  are  smooth  and  the  streets  broad,  and 
1  see  no  necessity  for  the  happy  Benedict  to 
"carry  his  wife  home  on  a  wheelbarrow/' 
The  final  catastrophe,  too,  is  wanting,  un- 
less some  luckless  sailor,  out  on  a  bender,  is 
unable  to  maintain  his  balance. 

In  the  river  opposite  the  city  is  anchored 
a  large  fleet  of  foreign  ships  and  steamers, 
and  near  the  shore  are  moored  several  large 
hulks  in  which  is  stored  the  opium  from 
India.  These  opium  hulks  are  under  the 
strictest  surveillance  of  the  Chinese  custom 
house  officials,  as  this  article  pays  a  very 
high  import  duty  and  offers  great  tempta- 
tions to  smugglers.  For  some  years  past 
the  maritime  custom3  department  of  ChiLa 
has  been  under  the  control  of  foreigners, 
mostly  English  and  Americans,  holding 
cflise  from  the  Chinese  government.  They 
aie  paid  large  salaries,  and  if  not  absolutely 
proof  against  fraud  and  speculation,  they  are 
reported  to  be  as  honest  public  servants  as 
the  custom  house  officials  of  any  foreign 
civilized  government.  They  are  certainly  a 
great  improvement  on  the  native  Chinese, 
who  formerly  held  the  positions,  under 
whose  administration  scarcely  a  tithe  of  the 
duties  collected  ever  found  its  way  to  the 
Imperial  treasury.    It  is  the  commonly  ac- 


84 


cepted  belief  amoug  ior^gners  that  the 
Mandarins  and  native  officials  of  every 
rant,  from  the  Imperial  Council  down,  are 
corrupt.  The  stranger  constantly  hears  one 
word  used,  which  is  most  insignificant,  and 
has    a    world    of   meaning;    that    word  is 


•squeeze 


The  government  of  this  country  is  patri- 
archal. The  Empsrcr  is  called  the  "Son  of 
Heaven,"  and  exercises  supreme  control 
over  the  whole  Empire,  becauge  Heaven 
has  empowered  and  n  quired  bim  to  do  so. 
But  with  this  power  is  imposed  the  obliga- 
tion to  treat  his  people  with  leniency,  sym- 
pathy and  love.  He  lives  in  unapproachable 
erandeur,  and  is  never  seen  except  by  mem- 
l^^^jL  bers  of  his  own  pm'frj  and  high  state  officers. 
/  In  governing  fcuch  an  immense  realm  the 
people  understand  that  he  must  dslegate  his 
authority  to  a  large  number  of  officerp, 
whom  they  regard  as  his  agents  and  rep* 
resentativea.  When  they  consider  them- 
selves injured  or  oppressed  by  thes-?  official?, 
they  do  not  blame  the  Emperor,  but  some 
times  riee  in  reb,  llion  against  their  imme- 
diate rulers,  upon  whom  they  wreak  fearful 
vengeance,  and  then  appeal  to  their  great 
father  to  appoint  more  merciful  officials  in 
their  place. 

The  method  of  collecting  the  revenue  is 
peculiar,  and  ualiks  any  civil.:Z3d  nation  of 
the  West.  Tne  empire  is  divided  into 
eighteen  provinces,  and  some  of  them  larger 
in  extent  and  with  four  times  the  popula- 
tion of  New  York  or  Pennsylvania.  Each 
of  these  is  ruled  by  a  Viceroy.  The  pro- 
vinces are  subdivided  into  departments, 
governed  by  Tou-Tais.  The  departments 
are  again  sub  divided  into  districts,  under 
Mandarins  cf  various  grades.  There  is  no 
system  of  uniform  taxation  wh;ch  bears 
equally  upon  ali  parts  of  the  empire.  The 
Supreme  Council  signifies  to  each  Viceroy 
how  much  money  is  required  from  his  pro- 
vince,  and  the  Viceroy  in  turn  notifies  each 
Tou-Tai,  ai-d  so  on  down  to  the  Mandarine, 
who  must  collet  it  from  the  people  as  best 
they  can.  It  is  one  grand  system  of 
"squeeze,"  from  the  apex  of  the  pyramid  to 
its  base.  Each  official  pays  over  to  the 
next  higher  in  rank  the  sum  absolutely  de- 
manded, which  he  must  do  at  the  peril  of 
his  head,  and  putting  the  surplus,  if  any,  In 
his  own  pocket.  Under  such  a  system  the 
people  who  form  the  base  of  the  pyramid 
are  often  sutj acted  to  intolerable  exactions, 
and  if  the  Chinese  were  not  the  most  patient 
and  long-suffering  race  upon  the  face  of  the 


85 


globe,  the  country  would  be  in  a  chronic 
state  of  rebellion. 

The  ruling  dynasty  is  Mancbu  or  Tartar. 
When  this  race,  coming  from  the  north, 
overrun  and  cjEquered  the  "Flowery  King- 
dom," they  imposed  upon  the  Chinese  the 
wearing  of  the  long  queue  or  pigtail  in  token 
of  subjection-  In  the  course  of  many  cen- 
turies it  has  become  the  most  necessary  and 
essential  part  of  the  Chinese  dress,  and  to  be 
deprived  of  it  is  the  greatest  indignity.  To 
cat  off  a  man's  pigtail  is  a  worse  punisn- 
ment  even  than  to  cut  tff  his  heed,  and 
would  result  in  suicide.  The  military  offi- 
cers throughout  the  empire  are  all  of  the 
Tartar  race,  and  in  most  of  the  large  walled 
cities  there  13  an  inner  wall,  within  which 
the  Tartar  families  reside.  Upon  this  col- 
ony or  garrison  the  Emperor  depends  to 
hold  possession  of  the  city  in  case  of  a  rebel- 
lion or  ineurn  ction.  In  every  province  and 
district  there  is  a  military  cfficer,  whose 
ar-  thority  is  co-ordinate  with  that  of  the  civil 
governor.  Although  the  government  is  an 
absolute  despotism,  it  embodies  some  deci- 
dedly  republican  features,  and  the  people 
have  a  good  degree  of  personal  liberty.  The 
civil  officials  are  all  selected  from  the  literary 
graduates,  and  persons  of  almost  any  condi- 
tion in  life  may  rise  to  the  highest  position 
of  honor  and  irfluence  through  a  most  com- 
plex system  of  competitive  literary  examin- 
ations. Hundreds  of  thousands  spend  years 
in  study,  and  yet  fail  to  pass  this  ordeal;  or 
if  successful  in  taking  the  first  degree,  are 
unable  to  reach  the  second  or  third,  which 
would  make  them  eligible  to  the  higher 
offices  under  the  government.  This  class 
of  literati  scattered  throughout  the  whole 
empire,  are  thoroughly  imbued  with  the 
doctrines  of  Confucius,  are  earnest  support  • 
ers  of  the  government,  (which  they  regard 
as  the  embodiment  of  the  wisdom  of  tteir 
ancient  sages),  and  exercise  great  influence 
ever  the  common  people.  Some  idea  of  the 
enormous  scale  on  which  these  competitive 
examinations  are  carried  out,  may  be  had 
from  the  fact  that  at  the  last  triennial  exam- 
ination at  Nanking  in  September,  18T0,  over 
eighteen  thousand  candidates  appeared,  and 
they  were  from  only  three  of  the  eighteen 
provinces.  A  novel  feature  on  this  occasion 
was  that  Kiang-si,  the  Governor,  placed  two 
steamers  at  the  disposal  of  the  candidates  to 
convey  them  to  and  from  their  homes  with- 
out charge.  These  examinations  are  ire- 
quentlv  attended  by  demonstrations  of  dis- 
like to  foreigners,  a  feeling  which  generally 


S6 


pervades  the  whole  literati,  as  a  class. 

Now  we  lock  upon  the  Chinese  as  bar- 
barian?, but  is  not  this  system  of  govern- 
ment appointments  an  improvement  on 
that  of  our  own  enlightened  land, 
where  puty  service,  personal  favor 
and  politic*!  considerations,  and  some- 
times beer  and  whi>ky,  are  the  open 
sesame  to  official  position?,  regardless  ot 
merit  or  qualiticition.  When  Mr.  Jancke'a 
civil  service  bill  sball  become  a  law,  as  in 
time  it  certainly  must,  we  may  hope  for  a 
reform  that  will  place  U3  in  this  respect  al- 
most on  a  par  with  the  '«  Heathen  Chinee  " 

No  event  connected  with  China  during 
the  present  generation  has  created  so  much 
interest  in  foreign  lands,  or  raised  such 
great  expectations  which  were  doomed  to 
disappointment,  as  the  great  Tai-ping  re- 
bellion. It  commenced  in  1850,  and  after  a 
struggle  of  fourteen  years  duration,  which 
nearly  overthrew  the  Manchu  dynasty  and 
destroyed  millions  of  lives,  it  was  only  put 
down  at  last  by  the  h?lp  of  foreign  bayo- 
nets. It  rendered  desolate  some  of  the 
richest  and  most  fertile  portions  of  the  em- 
pire, leaving  behind  it  tracts  hundreds  of 
miles  in  extent,  marked  with  blsckened 
walls  and  heaps  of  ruins,  uncultivated 
fields  and  depopulated  towns  and  cities.  It 
originated  with  a  man  who  had  received 
from  a  native  teacher  near  Canton  some 
imperfect  ideas  of  Christianity,  and  at  first 
it  seemtd  that  he  was  to  be  the  instrument 
of  a  great  religious  rcf  jrm  and  the  downfall 
of  paganism.  Having  overcome  a  greater 
portion  of  Ssuthern  Caina  the  Tai-piogs 
swept  northward,  and  after  a  siege  of  two 
years  captured  Nanking,  the  second  great 
city  and  ancient  capital  of  the  empire.  In 
thi3  contest  the  loss  of  life  was  frightful,  as 
no  prisoners  were  taken  on  either  6ide. 
The  professed  objact  of  the  rebellion  was  the 
destruction  of  the  Tartar  dynasty  and  the 
restoration  of  the  ancient  Chinese  race  to 
the  government  of  the  empire.  They  al- 
lowed their  hair  to  grow,  repudiating  the 
Manchu  custom  of  shaving  the  front  part  of 
the  head  and  cultivating  the  queue,  and  so 
were  called  "Long-hairs,"  this  being 
a  synonym  for  rebels.  In  the  meantime  the 
early  promise  that  the  success  of  the  rebel- 
lion would  result  in  a  more  beneficent  gov- 
ernment, with  medern  ideas  and  a  Christian 
civilization,  had  fided  away.  The  leader 
announced  himself  the  brother  of  Jisu* 
Christ,  and  his  fjllowers  became  more  and 
more  erratic  and  fanatical,  until  they  degen  ■ 


87 


erated  into  a  superstition  more  absurd  than 
the  paganism  it  sought  to  replace.  At  this 
crisis,  when  the  Peking  government  was 
tottering,  and  its  downfall  seemed  inevita- 
ble, there  appeared  Upon  the  stage  a  man 
whose  career  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
in  modern  times,  and  seems  like  a  romance 
of  the  middle  ages.  An  American, who  had 
first  come  to  China  as  a  common  sailor,  and 
had  acquired  some  influence  with  the  Man- 
darins, offered  his  services  to  the  imperial 
government,  and,  as  drowning  men  catch  at 
straws,  they  were  promptly  accepted.  Al- 
though entirely  without  military  education 
or  training,  he  showed  such  remarkable 
talent  and  energy  in  the  reorganization  and 
management  of  the  Chinese  army,  every- 
where defeated  and  demoralized,  that  he 
soon  rose  to  supreme  authority  in  the  con- 
duct of  the  war.  He  raised  a  foreign  legion, 
established  order  and  discipline  in  the  im- 
perial army,  procured  improved  arms, 
checked  and  drove  back  the  rebels  marching 
on  Pekieg,  retook  city  after  city,  and  in  two 
years,  having  broken  the  bacK  of  the  rebel- 
lion, met  an  untimely  death  at  the  storming 
of  an  insignificant  town  in  one  of  the  central 
provinces. 

If  General  Ward's  life  had  been  spared  ten 
years  longer  it  is  impossible  to  calculate 
what  his  unlimited  influence  with  the  gov- 
ernment he  had  served  might  have  enabled 
him  to  accomplish  in  reforming  ancient 
abuses  and  corruptions,  and  introducing 
western  ideas  and  civilization.  Since  his 
death  the  Chinese  have  placed  his  effigy  in 
their  pantheon  of  gods,  and  regard  him  as  a 
special  gift  from  heaven  to  save  their  na- 
tion. Here,  on  the  bund  at  Shanghai,  they 
have  erected  a  marble  monument  to  the 
memory  of  General  Ward  and  the  brave  for- 
eign officers  of  "that  ever-victorious  army" 
which  he  commanded,  who  fell  in  the  strug- 
gle with  the  "long-haired"  rebels. 

And  now,  having  returned  at  last  to  the 
hind  whence  we  started,  let  us  go  back  to 
the  "Astor"  for  tiffin,  leaving  further  record 
of  experience  among  the  Chinese  for  another 
day.  W.  P.  F. 


Odd  and  Carious  Mghts.-A  Story  of 
Paradoxes—Respect  for  Parents- 
Visit  to  a  Chinese  Theatre-- Exces- 
sive Politeness-- Great  Display  of 
Finger  Ornaments— Serio-Comedy 
Dead'TOen  AValk  —  Japs  Ahead  of 
Chinese  in  the  Mimic  Art—Wed- 
ding Procession— marriage  Cere- 
monies -Jump  in  the  Dark— Not 
Married  in  Haste— Cupid  Walts 
for  Hymen. 

NUMBER  FOURTEEN. 


Shanghai,  China,  January,  1871. 

First  impressions  are  not  always  the  best , 
but  in  attempting  to  describe  the  strange 
and  curious  sights  of  a  foreign  country, 
where  the  traveler  expects  only  to  skim 
over  the  surface,  and  has  no  time  to  dive  be- 
neath and  comprehend  the  rationale  and 
philosophy  of  the  people,his  first  impressions 
are  often  of  interest,  if  photographed  at 
once.  An  old  traveller  or  long  resident  will 
cease  to  notice  and  wonder  that  a  stranger 
is  interested  in  scenes  which  are  full  of  in- 
terest and  novelty  to  the  fresh  comer.  To 
Bayard  Taylor,  there  would  be  nothing 
novel  in  seeing  people  eat  with  chop-sticks, 
old  men  flying  kites,  or  women  toddling 
through  the  streets  with  feet  only  three 
inches  long.  I  do  not  propose  to  wait  until 
familiarity  with  such  sights  has  destroyed 
their  novelty  and  freshness,  but  shall  try 
and  give  the  first  impressions,  which  to  me 
are  very  curious  and  vivid,  of  the  habits  and 
manners  of  this  strange  race. 

China  is  said  to  be  a  country  of  paradoxes 
and  anomalies.  Many  familiar  things  are 
strangely  reversed.  The  people  do  not 
walk  upon  their  heads,  to  be  sure ;  but  the 
old  men  fly  their  kites,  while  the  children 
look  on ;  they  write  and  print  their  books 
from  top  to  bottom,  from  right  to  left,  in 
perpendicular  instead  of  horizontal  lines 
and  their  books  end  where  ours  begin ;  their 
locks  are  made  to  fasten  by  turning  the 
keys  from  left  to  right ;  the  carpenter  uses 
his  plane  and  saw  by  drawing  it  towards 
him,  and  the  tailors  stitch  from  them. 
Their  horses  stand  in  the  stables  with  their 
heads  where  we  place  their  tails;  they 
mount  them  from  the  q/f-side,  and  fasten  the 
bells  upon  the  hind  quarters  instead  of 
round  the  neck;  the  anti-crinoline  style 
of  their  garments  seriously  impede  locomo- 
tion, and  destroy  all  grace  of  move- 
ment; white  is  the  color  of  mourning,  and 
their  religion  consists  not  in  love  of  God, 
but  in  fear  of  the  devil.  In  this  respect, 
however,  they  do  not  differ  so  very  much 
from  some  so-called  Christian  natioHs. 
Some  other  customs  of  the  Chinese  differ 
materially  from  ours,  but  the  comparison  is 
rather  to  their  advantage.    The  children 


89 


pay  the  greatest  deference   and  respect  to 
their  parents.    The   most  heinous  offence 
that  a  child  can  commit  would  be  to  strike 
his  father  or  mother;  and  by   law  and  cus- 
tom the  parent  would  be  justified  in  pun- 
ishing the  child  with  death.    "Young  Chi- 
na" never  ignores  or  snubs  "the  governor." 
So  far  is  filial   affection  carried  that  grand- 
parents are  almost  worshipped.    "Sharpsr 
than  a  serpent's  tooth  to  have  a  thankless 
child,"  has  a   significance   ten-fold   great- 
er here  than  in  America.    The  Scripture 
injunction  to  "leave  father  and  mother  and 
cleave  unto  the  wife,?  is  not  according  to 
Confucius.    The  claim  of  one's  parent  upon 
the  affections  and  love  of  the  married  son 
is  considered  to  be  paramount  to  that  of  his 
wife.    The    reason     given     is    that     the 
loss     of     a     father    or    mother    is    irre- 
parable,    but     that     of     the     wife     is 
not.    Women   are  treated  with  more   re- 
spect and  consideration  as    they   advance 
in  years,   and   mothers  are  universally  re- 
garded with  great  affection  and  tenderness. 
Although  the  husband  and  wife  never  see 
each  other  before  marriage,  and  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  making  choice  of  their  part- 
ner  for  life,     a  strong  attachment  often 
springs  up  between  them,  and  divorces  are 
rare  and  only  justifiable  if  the  wife  is  so 
unfortunate  as  to  be  childless.    While  cus- 
toms and  theories  vary,  human  nature  and 
woman's  nature  is  the  same  the  world  over. 
The   Chinese  have  a  theory  of  the  infe- 
riority  of  woman,  which  they  often  find  it 
difficult  to  carry  into  practice.    They  pay  a 
tribute  to  the  "weaker"  sex  whsn  they  de- 
ny them  education,  for  the  professed  reason 
that  they  find  it  sufficiently  difficult  to  keep 
them  in  their  proper  place  without  it.    In 
many  families  here  as  well  as  in  America, 
the  superiority   of  the   wife's  will  and  au- 
thority is  sufficiently  manifest  and  cheerful- 
ly  acknowledged,    although    "hen-pecked 
husbands"   are   perhaps   more   rare    than 
among  Western  nations. 

I  attended,  last  evening,  the  Chinese  thea- 
ter by  invitation  of  a  friend,  who  took  along 
with  him  his  compradore  as  guide  and  inter- 
preter. It  is  situated  in  the  Chinese  quar- 
ter, and  the  streets  in  the  vicinity  were  full 
of  restaurants  and  the  walks  crowded  with 
venders  of  fruits,  sweetmeats  and  ail  kinds 
of  eatables.  The  outside  of  the  building  was 
covered  with  immense  pictures  of  the  sensa- 
tion order,  representing  dragons,  lions  and 
nondescript  animals,  giants  and  dwarfs,  and 
reminded  me  of  Barnum's  Museum  v*,  olden 


90 


times.  Inside  we  found  a  large  and  well- 
ventilated  room,  plainly  finished,  without 
gilding  or  decoration,  with  a  gallery  around 
three  sides.  The  parquette  was  furnished 
with  small  tables,  at  which  parties  were  re- 
galing themselves  with  tea  and  refresh- 
ments. Most  of  the  audience  were  men  of 
the  better  class,  some  few  of  whom  had  their 
wives  and  children  with  them.  A  polite  at- 
tendant showed  us  to  our  9eats,  which  had 
been  secured  beforehand  near  the  stage,  and 
then  placed  before  us  very  thin  porcelain 
cups  with  covers.  In  each  he  put  some  tea 
leaves  and  poured  hot  water  from  small 
bronze  kettles,  which  were  carried  around 
all  the  evening  to  replenish  the  cupe.  He 
then  brought  little  dishes  of  dried  fruit  and 
sweetmeats,  miniature  oranges  and  roasted 
water-melon  seeds,  which  are  furnished  to 
the  audience  gratuitously,  and  supply  the 
place  of  peanuts  in  western  theatres.  Play- 
bills were  furnished  printed  in  Chinese  on 
red  paper.  As  we  were  the  only  foreigners 
present  our  entrance  attracted  some  atten- 
tion, but  no  rude  staring  annoyed  us,  and 
everybody  around  seemed  studiously  polite. 
Indeed,  with  the  better  class  of  Chinese,  po- 
liteness is  a  science  and  gracefulness  of  man- 
ners, a  study.  I  was  much  amused  at  watch- 
ing a  party  of  four  gentlemen  who  came  in 
and  occupied  a  table  near  us.  It  was  full 
ten  minutes  before  they  were  seated,  from 
the  most  excessive  and  persistent  efforts 
on  the  part  of  each  that  every  other  one 
should  occupy  a  better  seat  than  himself. 
One  seat  being  back  to  the  stage  each 
seemed  determined  to  occupy  it,  with  infinite 
bowings  and  compliments  to  his  companions. 
The  party  were  provided  with  the  usual  re- 
freshments, and  when  the  attendant  brought 
a  joss  stick  to  light  their  pipes,  which  were 
ornamented  with  silver  and  very  handsome, 
each  insisted  that  the  others  should  light 
first.  The  proverbial  politeness  of  the 
Frenchman  was  not  to  be  compared  to  this 
exhibition  of  Chinese  manners. 

Near  us  was  seated  a  lady  with  nails  on 
the  third  and  fourth  fingers  of  her  left  hand 
fully  three  inches  in  length.  She  frequently 
held  this  hand  up  to  her  face,  as  ladies  some- 
times do  at  horns  who  wear  elegant  rings, 
and  probably  with  the  same  motive.  Sho 
was  "got  up"  in  great  style,  and  often  con- 
sulted a  small  mirror  to  make  sure  that  her 
face  and  head  dress  were  all  right.  She 
flirted  her  elegant  ivory  fan  with  all  the 
grace  of  a  Spanish  Signorita,  and  ought  to 
have  had  the  mirror  inserted  in  it— an  Idea 


91 


that  the  Chinese  ladies  have  not  yet  adopted 
from  the  French.  Every  person  in  the  audi- 
ence carried  a  fan,  which  when  not  in  use 
was  placed  between  the  collar  and  the  back 
of  the  neck. 

I  can  only  describe  the  play  as  a  "comical, 
melo-dramatic  farce."  It  seemed  to  me  a 
most  whimsical  and  ridiculous  travesty ;  but 
the  audience  listened  with  the  most  serious 
earnestness,  from  the  entree  of  the  principal 
characters,  which  were  harlequindike,  with 
a  series  of  somersets  over  tables  and  chairs, 
to  the  finale,  when  the  hero,  after  a  painful 
and  agonizing  death,  got  up  and  quietly 
walked  off  the  stage.  I  doubt  whether  the 
Chinese  have  any  adequate  conception  of  the 
ludicrous,  either  on  the  stage  or  in  actual 
life.  Making  all  allowance  for  the  differ- 
ence of  national  tastes  and  habits  in  dramatic 
performances,  their  more  than  Turkish 
gravity  and  impassiveness  opened  to  me  a 
new  phase  in  the  character  of  this  strange 
race.  The  actors,  who  belonged  to  a  famous 
troupe  from  Peking,  and  were  all  "stars," 
recited  their  parts  in  a  high,  drawling  fal- 
setto tone,  frequently  advancing  and  re- 
tiring, bowing,  gesturing,  twisting  and  turn- 
ing in  the  most  grotesque  and  ludicrous  man- 
ner. There  was  an  undue  amount  of  action, 
loud  altercations,  the  most  violent  gestures 
and  frequent  mocK  conflicts,  with  a  great 
flourish  of  gongs,  which  seemed  to  inspire 
awe  in  the  minds  of  the  spectators.  The 
play  was  in  the  Mandarin  dialect,  quite  dif- 
ferent from  the  colloquial  language  of 
Shanghai,  and  must  have  been  unintelligible 
to  the  greater  part  of  the  audience,  to 
whom,  as  well  as  to  ourselves,  it  was  a 
pantomime,  The  Emperor  and  other  high 
officials  were  represented  with  a  vast 
amount  of  tinsel,  and  long  processions  of 
"supes,"  with  spears  and  tin  helmets, 
marched  in  and  out,  looking  as  little  like 
real  soldiers  as  these  characters  do  at  home. 
Fire-crackers  and  blue  lights,  gong3  and 
tom-toms,  enlivened  the  battle  scenes,  and 
the  whole  wound  up,  like  our  evening  cam- 
paign speeches  on  the  Square,  with  "a 
grand  exhibition  of  fireworks." 

It  is  but  just  to  Chinese  theaters  to  eay 
that  vulgar  and  immoral  plays  are  un- 
known, and  the  associations  cf  the  stage  are 
quite  different  from  those  of  western  lands. 
The  female  characters  are  always  performed 
by  boys,  and  with  remarkable  accuracy 
in  their  imitation  of  voice  and  general  ap- 
peararci.  The  prompter  sits  on  the  stage, 
and  beside  him  is  a  bowl  of   said,  or  rice 


92 


wine,  of  which  the  actor  partakes  after  vio- 
lent exercire.  One  of  the  most  ludicrous 
things  I  saw  was  the  two  cbampione,  who 
seemed  to  be  rivals  for  the  hand  of  the  beau- 
tiful heroine  of  the  play,  after  fighting 
mo3t  fiercely  for  ten  minutes,  agree  to  a 
truce,  take  a  friendly  diink  together,  acd 
then  resume  their  deadly  conflict,  which 
resulted  fatally,  of  course,  to  the  poor  fel- 
low who  was.  not  favored  by  the  young 
lady. 

In  histrionic  art  the  Chinese  are  far  in- 
ferior to  the  Japanese.  I  saw  a  play  acted 
at  the  Yeddo  theater  that  showed  an  appre* 
ciation  of  the  proprieties  of  "mimic  life" 
that  would  be  creditable  in  Europe  or 
America.  They  had  a  revolving  stage 
and  very  fair  scenery.  The  acting  in 
some  parts  was  positively  good,  particu- 
larly the  "old  man"  who  in  dress  and  man- 
ner, for  of  course  it  was  all  pantomime  to 
me,  reminded  me  of  Ellsler  at  the  Academy 
of  Music.  There  were  none  of  the  absurdi- 
ties which  the  Chinese  auditors  view  with 
so  much  gravity,  and  frequent  outbursts  of 
laughter  showed  that  the  "Japs"  appreci- 
ated the  humorous  passages  of  the  play. 

While  walking  yesterday  along  the  Nan- 
kin road,  in  the  Chinese  quarters  of  Shang- 
hai, I  encountered  a  curious  precession,  and 
stepping  into  Chee-Kiaug's  shop  I  inquired 
in  my  best  "pigeon  English"  what  it  all 
meant.  Mr.  "Chee"  politely  informed  me 
that  it  was  a  wedding  party,  and  explained 
to  me  in  that  part'cular  dialect,  which  is 
the  only  medium  of  communication  between 
natives  and  foreigners,  some  particulars 
which  may  be  of  interest  to  the  reader. 
First  came  a  dozen  musicians  beating  gongs 
and  blowing  horns,  each  one  apparently  on 
his  own  account,  and  making  the  most  ear- 
piercing  and  discordant  article  ever  con- 
ceived of  under  the  name  of  "music."  They 
were  dressed  in  fantastic  costume  of  which 
yellow  seemed  the  predominant  color.  Then 
a  lot  of  boys  carrying  flags  and  lanterns,  of 
which  they  seemed  very  proud.  After 
them  several  coolies  bearing  between  them 
the  show  presents,  boxes  and  bales,  includ- 
ing, I  presume,  the  trousseau  of  the  bride. 
Then  a  long  procession  of  the  bride's  rela- 
tions, all  dressed  in  holiday  attire,  looking 
especially  festive  and  jolly,  as  if  bound  to 
make  a  day  of  it,  for  behind  them  followed 
more  coolies,  loaded  with  baskets  of  fruit 
and  every  variety  of  eatables,  among  which 
I  noticed  a  roast  pig,  brown  and  crisp,  and 
uone  to  a  turn.    These  were  to  set  c  if  the 


93 


wedding  feast.  %  Next  came  a  gorgeous  look- 
ing palanquin,  decorated  with  paper  flowers 
eilk  and  satin  embroideries  in  the  highest 
style  of  the   Chinese   art,  and   carried  by 
eight  coolies.    This  I  suppose  contained  the 
bride,   but  the   curtains   were   drawn  too 
closely  for  any  profane  eyes  to  penetrate, 
although  I  suspect  that  the  "adorable  crea- 
ture" inside  was  peeping  out.    Then  more 
sedan  chairs,  but  not  quite  so  "stunning"  in 
appearance,  containing  the  female  relatives 
of  the  family,  and  another  lot  of  friends  in- 
vited to  the  feast,  and  the  long  procession 
wound  up  with  more  musicians,  who  seemed 
trying     their     best      to      outdo     their 
rival  performersiwho  led  the  van.    Behind 
all  were  scores  of  beggars  and  street  gamins, 
the  latter  running  I  fronfside  to  side  of  the 
narrow  road,  as  full  of  .^excitement  and  de- 
light at  the  show  as  the^same  class  would  be 
in  following  a  military  procession  at  home, 
Having  never  had  the  pleasure  of  accepting 
an  invitation  to  a  Chinese  wedding,  I  can 
only  describe  the  show'partf  which  is  open 
to  the  public,  but  I  am  told  that  they  are 
celebrated  with  a  great  deal  of  formality  and 
expense,  £  Betrothals.,  are  contracted   at  a 
very  early  age,  and  even  among  "intimate 
friends  it  is  etiquette  that  all  the  negotiations 
shall  be  conducted  by  a  claBs  of  women  called 
"go-betweens,"  or  match-makers.    The  boys 
and  girls  arelsupposed  to  be  entirely  indif- 
ferent as  to  the  whole  matter.    The  idea  of 
courtship  or  love  letters  .would  b3  quite 
shocking  to  all  right  minded  persons.    After 
betrothal,  which  is  consummated  by  an  ex- 
change of  presents,  and  the  making  over  of 
a  formal  document  to  the  parents  of  the 
groom,  the  engagement  is  considered  as  legal 
and  binding  as  if  the  marriage  had  been  per- 
formed.   If  the  boy  should  die  it  is  consid- 
ered the  proper  and  filial  thing  for  the  girl 
to  remain  a  widow  for  life,  and  devote  her- 
self to  the  care  of  her  deceased  husband's 
parents— a  custom  which  our  girls  at  home 
would  consider  particularly  hard.    Before 
the  wedding  day  the  bride  has  her  eyebrows 
pulled  out,  which  in  China  is  the  distin- 
guishing mark  of  a  married  woman.    On 
the  morning  of  the  *  'lucky  day"  chosen  for 
the  mai  riage,  the  bride  is  carried  from  her 
own  home  to  that  of  her  future  husband  in 
great  state  and  ceremony.    With  her  face 
closely  veiled,  she  kneels  with  her  husband 
before  an  altar,  and  they  worship  together 
the   spirit  tablets  of  the  ancestors  of  the 
groom.    The  parties  first  see  each  other's 
face  when  the  bride's  veil  is  removed  and 


94 


they  drink  wine  out  of  the  same  cup,  after 
the  redding  day  spent  in  feasting,  congrafc. 
illation?,  and  general  hilarity  by  their  mu-= 
tual  friend9  and  relations.  If  not  entirely 
patisfied  with  the  choice  in  which  they  have 
had  no  part,  it  is  certainly  too  late  to  repent, 
and  they  have  only  to  "make  the  best  of  it,' 
—a  conclusion  which  sensible  in  other  lands 
sometimes  arrive  at  when  they  have  entered 
into  the  marriage  relation  with  eyes  wide 
open,  as  they  suppose,  but  in  reality  closely 
bandaged  by  that  blind  little  imp  and  match 
maker,  Cupid.  W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  FIFTEEN. 


Departure  of  Distinguished  Guests— 
Secretary  Seward  in  Japan  and  Chi- 
na-He Visits  Pek'n  and  the  Great 
Wall -Prince  Kung  is  Grouty— The 
Senator  and  Sailor  Exchange  Sa- 
lutes—The Prince  Relents— All  Love- 
ly and  Serene  over  Sharks'  Fins  and 
Birds'  Nests— The  Chinese  Language- 
Pigeon  English-Coin  and  Currency 
— Com prad ores  Costumes  and  Queues 
—Pawnbrokers  Shops— Small  Feet- 
Fashion  Slakes  Hideous  Things  Beau- 
tiful—Visit to  a  Wealthy  Chinaman 
—Tea  as  is  Tea  —  A  Gentleman, 
Though  Wearing  a  Pigtail— Luxury 
Next  Door  to  Penury. 

Hong  Kong,  China,  January,  1871. 
The  morning  on  which  I  left  Shanghai,  I 
was  awakened  by  a  terrific  din  of  firecrack- 
ers under  my  window.  Fourth  of  July  was 
the  first  idea  suggested,  but  then  it  occur- 
red to  me  that  it  was  nearer  the  fourth  of 
January  than  July.  The  fusilade  was  kept 
up  for  several  hours  in  the  streets  around 
the  landing  place.  The  departure  of  distin- 
guished guests  is  always  celebrated  in  China 
by  burning  firecrackers  as  a  sacrifice  to 
"Joss"  for  good  luck  arid  a  pleasant  voyage. 
Not  that  your  humble  correspondent  was 
the  "distinguished  personage"  who  drew 
forth  such  a  demonstration.  The  Hon.  W. 
H.  Seward,  who  is  "swinging  round  the  cir* 
cle,"  was  to  leave  that  day  in  the  Hang 
Kong  steamer.  The  great  sensation  in 
China  this  winter,  especially  among  the 
American  residents,  is  the  visit  of  the  ven- 
erable ex-Sscretary,  who  left  San  Francisco 
in  September,  spent  a  month  in  Japan,  and 
after  visiting  North  China,  Peking  and  the 
Great  Wall,  is  now  on  the  way  to  Hong 
Kong,  thence  via.  India  to  Europe.  He  is 
accompanied  in  this  tour  through  the  East 
by  the  two  Misses  Risley  of  Washington,  the 
elder  of  whom,  Miss  Risley  Seward,  his 
adopted  daughter,  is  hia  private  Secretary. 
A  nephew  of  the  distinguished  Statesman, 
Mr.  George  F.  Seward,  has  for  nine  years 
past  held  the  position  of  Consul  General  in 
China,  and  returned  to  Shanghai  with  the 
party,  bringing  his  young  bride,  one  of  the 


most  beautiful  and  accomplished  daughters 
of  the  Golden  State.  "When  appointed  to 
this  important  cffice,  which  is  diplomatic  as 
well  as  consular,  he  was  scaicely  of  age,  and 
it  was  looked  upon  by  Americans  in  China 
as  a  family  affair,  but  during  his  long  serv- 
ice he  has  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his 
own  countrymen  as  well  as  of  the  Chinese 
officials. 

In  Japan  Mr*  Seward  was  received  by  the 
Micado  with  all  the  honors  accorded  to  the 
Duke  of  Edinburgh,  son  of  Qieen  Victoria, 
last   year.      This  was  only    accomplished 
after  long  negotiations  on  the  part  of  our 
Minister  to  Japan,  Mr.  DsLong.    Since  the 
arrival  of  the  party  in   Shanghai,  this  city, 
which  is  more  American  than   any  other 
place  in  China,  has  been  unusually  gay  with 
balls  and  dinner  parties     In  their  visit  to 
Peking,  they  were  accompanied  by  Admiral 
Rodders  and  a  large  escort  of  marines  from 
the  United  States  war  *hip^  on  this  statior. 
A  full  band  of  mus'c  from  the  flag  ship 
Colorado  enlivened  the  march,  and  the  fes- 
tive array  of  gold  lace  and  blue  jackets  put 
the  visit  on  a  semi  official  footing.    Their 
route  was  eight  hundred  miles  by  steam  up 
the  Yellow  Sea  to  Tientsin,  thence  eighty 
miles  by  donkeis,  mule  litters,  and  Chinese 
carts  to  the  capital,    The  weather  was  very 
cold,  and  the  party  suffered  many  discom- 
forts, for  this  part  of  China  is  only  accessi- 
ble to  travelers  during  the  summer  months; 
In  winter  it  is  frozen  up  as  solid  as  Canada. 
The  common  people  in  the  crowded  cities 
and  villages  through    which  they  passed 
doubtless  thought  it  was  a  cortege  bearing 
tribute  to  their  mighty  Emperor,  the  "Son 
of  Heaven,"  from  some  tribe  of  western  bar- 
barians. 

At  the  capital  the  party  was  most  hospi- 
tably entertained  at  the  American  and  Ris- 
sian  legations,  the  English,  of  course,  hold- 
ing aloof,  from  that  jealousy  of  American 
influence  in  this  country,  which  one  sees 
everywhere  in  China.  Prince  Kung,  the 
representative  of  royalty  and  Prime  Minis- 
ter of  the  Celestial  Empire,  declined  to  re- 
ceive Mr.  Ssward  at  the  Foreign  Office, 
on  the  ground  of  illness,  and  when  it 
was  proposed  to  call  at  his  private 
residence,  he  replied  that  his  house 
was  too  small  and  mean  to  receive  so  great 
a  personage,  but  the  proposal  was  so 
fl»ttering  to  him  that  he  shou  d  "engrave 
it  on  his  heart  and  write  it  on  his  bones." 
Such  extravagant  expressions  are  merelv 
the  conventional  fcims  cf  Chinease  etiquette 


97 

and  mean  nothing.  If  a  consul  proposes  to 
call  upon  a  Tou  tai,  or  Mandarien,  they 
"will  sweep  their  mean  threshholds  clean 
in  honor  of  your  preeence,  engrave  your 
words  upon  their  hearts,  escort  you  bt  ck  to 
their  doorways  and  there  wait  weeping  un- 
til your  glorious  return,"  &?.  Notwith- 
standing these  hurriod  words  they  both  ■  <  <.,  ,7* 
hate  and  diepisa  you,  although  near  the 
coast,  where  the  power  of  outside  barba- 
rians is  seen  and  realized,  their  dislike  is 
tempered  by  a  wholesome  fear  of  foreign 
gunboats  and  bayonets. 

Leaving  the  Prime  Minister  to  reccver 
from  his  "colic"  the  Ssward  party  penetrat* 
ed  fifty  miles  further  north  to  the  great  wall, 
that  famous  type  of  Chinese  greatness  and 
feebleness.  The  Shanghai  News  Letter  gives 
a  full  report  of  the  speeches  made  by  the 
venerable  statesman  and  the  gallant  Admi- 
ral while  standing  on  this  interesting  spot, 
"surveying  on  one  side  the  vast  plains  of 
China,  teeming  with  population,  on  the 
other  the  desolate  wilds  of  Tartary."  The 
English  newspapers  in  their  account  of  the 
affair  take  occasion  to  speak  of  the  American 
mania  for  speech-making  on  all  and  every 
occasion,  and  under  the  most  adverse  cir- 
cumstances. They  delicately  hint  at  the 
slightly  absurd  aspect  of  these  two  old  gen- 
tlemen standing  upon  a  ruined  wall,  shiver- 
ing in  the  keen  blasts  sweeping  down  from 
the  plains  of  Tartary,  and  firing  off  a  pair  of 
formal  speeches  at  each  other.  As  the  gal- 
lant old  sailor  was  never  before  in  his  life 
known  to  make  a  speech,  they  intimate  that 
these  extended  "remarks"  were  * 'cooked" 
by  reporters  for  home  consumption.  But 
such  ill  natured  feelings  at  one  of  our  most 
cherished  national  chars  cterlstics  is  no  more 
than  we  ought  to  expect  from  an  English- 
man. 

After  visiting  the  great  wall  and  the 
Ming  Tombs,  where  the  Emperors  of  the 
Ming,  or  native  Chinese  dynasty  were 
buried  for  thousands  of  years  before 
the  Tartars  overrun  and  subjugated 
the  Empire,  the  party  returned 
to  Peking,  where  in  the  meantime  some 
pressure  had  been  brought  to  bear  on  the 
government,  and  the  Prince  consented  to 
invite  the  august  visitors  to  an  entertain- 
ment. There  over  a  banquet  of  shark  fins, 
birds'  nests,  and  other  Chinese  delicacies, 
the  best  of  feelings  were  mutually  expressed, 
and  compliments  tossed  back  and  forth  be- 
tween "China's  best  friend  and  treaty  ma- 
ker," ard  the  head  of  a  Ministry  that  rules 
one  third  of  the  whole  human  race. 


98 


Some  one  has  said  that  the  march  of  im- 
provement in  China  has  been  a  dead  march, 
and  one  great  impediment  in  the  way  of  the 
introduction  of  foreign  ideas  is  the  difficulty 
of  acquiring  the  laDguage;  which  in  part 
accounts  for  the  ex' re  me  isolation  ot  the 
Chinese  race  from  the  other  nations  of  the 
world.  The  written  language  has  no  al- 
phabet, but  is  made  up  of  forty  thousand 
arbitrary  characters,  of  which  about  five 
thousand  are  in  common  use.  Each  of  these 
characters  represent  a  word  or  syllable. 
"While  it  is  possible  for  the  vocal  organs  to 
express  only  about  five  hundred  distinct 
sounds,  there  are  ten  times  that  number  of 
characters,  so  that  the  same  sound  may  rep- 
resent either  one  of  ten  different  words.  In 
English  the  number  of  words  alika  in  sound 
but  with  different  meaning*  are  limited.  In 
Chinese  it  is  universal.  Oae  can  readily 
see  what  an  immense  amount  of  study  and 
how  retentive  a  memory  is  required  to  learn 
this  written  language,  which  is  understood 
by  the  learned  class  not  only  over  the  whole 
Chinese  empire,  but  also  in  Japan,  Loo- 
Choo,  Cjrea,  and  the  neighboring  islands. 
Through  it  a  far  larger  proportion  of  the 
human  race  can  be  reached  than  through 
any  other  language  of  the  world. 

The  hundreds  of  thousands  who  are  com- 
petitors for  literary  honors  at  the  annual 
examinations  perfect  themselves  by  long 
and  patient  study  in  the  written  language, 
and  become  familiar  with  the  writings  of 
Confucius  and  the  other  Chinese  classics. 
Of  these  but  a  small  fraction  are  euccessful, 
and  become  the  employees  of  the  govern- 
ment, to  whom  every  channel  of  wealth  and 
power  is  open,  from  the  Mandarin's  button 
to  the  peacock  feather  of  the  prime  min- 
ister. The  great  mass  of  unsuccessful  can- 
didates settle  down  into  village  schoolmas- 
ters and  teachers,  and  form  an  influential 
literary  class  of  society  scattered  through- 
out the  whole  empire. 

The  spoken  language  of  China  so  differs 
in  every  separa'e  province,  that  people 
living  within  a  hundred  miles  can  no  more 
understand  each  other's  dialect  than  an 
Englishman  can  understand  a  Spaniard. 
The  Mandarin  or  court  dialect  is  more  com- 
mon than  any  other,  and  is  used  at  the  capi- 
tal and  among  officials  throughout  the 
empire. 

The  difficulty  of  acquiring  a  language  so 
artificial  and  elaborate  as  the  Chinese,  and 
which  only  the  missionaries  attempt  te 
learn,  has  given  nse  to  a  curious  jargon 


90 


called  "Pigeon  English,"  which  is  the  ex- 
clusive medium  of  communication  between 
natives  and  foreigners  at  the  open  ports.  I 
found  merchants  who  had  been  for  a  score 
of  years  residents  of  China,  and  could 
neither  read  nor  speak  the  first  word  of 
Chinese.  Ask  a  native  to  pronounce  the 
word  "business,"  and  he  will  produca  a 
sound  that  more  resembles  "pigeon"  than 
anything  else,  and  hercs  the  term  "Pigeon 
English."  This  dialect,  which  has  to  me  a 
most  comical  sound,  consists  of  but  a  few 
hundred  words,  and  one  can  learn  it  so  as 
to  be  understood  in  a  very  short  time.  Many 
natives  think  it  pure  English,  and  it  one 
seeks  foreign  employment  he  will  some- 
times take  lessons  from  a  native  professor 
for,  a  few  days,  who  advertises  to  teach 
"Red-haired  talk  "  It  is  a  mixture  of  Eng- 
lish, French  and  Portuguese,  stirred  up 
with  a  plentiful  sprinkling  of  Chinese,  and 
forms  a  hodge-podge  which  shocks  peo- 
ple of  very  strict  literary  notions.  It 
dispenses  with  pronouns  and  swrplus  words, 
is  remarkably  laconic  and  especially  con- 
venient for  a  traveler  to  learn  who  cannot 
stay  long  enough  in  the  country  to  acquire 
a  more  elegant  or  polished  language.  I  go 
into  a  shop  and  ask  "John"  for  some  article, 
he  replies  sententiously  "got"  or  "no  got," 
which  he  jarksout  with  a  good  naturcd 
grin  that  always  makes  me  laugh.  Before 
I  became  proficient  in  the  language  I  one 
day  told  a  servant  at  the  hotel  to  go  up  to 
my  room  and  bring  the  book  I  was  reading 
yesterday.  He  staged  but  stirred  not,  evi- 
dently not  understanding  my  request.  A 
friend  translated  my  message  thus:  "Go 
topside  and  calchee  one  piecee  bookee,  all 
same  read  yesterday."  Off  he  started  like  a 
shot.  Built  in  the  wall,  just  outside  the 
door  of  every  shop  is  a  little  recess  where 
the  proprietor,  Chin  chin  Joss,  or  burns  the 
sacred  Joss-sticks  to  ensure  a  good  trade. 
I  go  into  Toe-Shing's  shop,  here  in  Hong 
Kong,  where  I  have  made  extensive  pur- 
chases, and  inquire  how  business  is.  He  re- 
plies, "No  good  pigeon,  I,  Chin-chin  Joss, 
he  catchee  melican  man,  all  the  same  you 
muchee  buy." 

The  Chinese  currency  in  dealing  with 
foreigners  is,  like  that  of  the  Japanese,  ex- 
clusively Mexican  dollars.  They  have  no 
coin  of  their  own,  excopt  copppr  cisb,  value 
one-tenth  of  a  cent,  and  you  will  sometimes 
meet  Coolies  loaded  down  with  this  coin  in 
strings  of  100  or  1,000.  Tea  is  purchased 
in  the  interior  with  cash,  and  steamers  up 


100 

the  Yangt  se  river  frequently  carry  tons  of 
it,  bringing  down  about  the  same  weight  of 
tea.  The  Mexicans  in  common  cir  eolation 
are  usually  chopped,  that  is  stamped  with 
the  name  cf  well  known  Chinese  merchant?, 
which  makes  them  more  current  among  the 
people,  and  is  a  partial  guaranty  against 
their  being  counterfeit.  So  much  bogus  sil- 
ver is  in  circulation  that  a  Chinaman  will 
hesitate  to  take  a  Mexican  that  has  not 
the  chop.  Every  shopkeeper  is  provided 
with  cuiious  little  scales  for  weighing  coin, 
and  will  take  any  foreign  silver  according 
to  its  weight.  There  are  in  circulation  for 
larger  transactions  silver  ingots,  shaped  like 
a  Chinese  woman's  shoe,  and  hence  called 
sycees.  Their  weight  is  stamped  upon 
tnem  and  they  pass  for  their  value  in  silver, 
from  ten  to  fifty  dollars  each.  The  native 
merchants  and  banners  have  a  system  of 
bills  of  exchange,  which  are  good  all  over 
the  empire.  They  are  capital  accountants, 
and  every  foreign  mercantile  house  has  its 
compradore,  a  person  of  education  and  some- 
times o  considerable  wealth,  who  cculd 
lend  large  Eum3  to  his  employers  if  they  re- 
quire it.  He  dresses  in  broadcloth  and  silk, 
and  occupies  a  position  of  high  trust.  He 
has  charge  of  all  the  funds  of  the  house,  and 
checks  are  made  on  him  as  the  treasurer  of 
the  establishment.  His  accounts  are  kept 
with  great  exactness,  and  instances  of  mis- 
placed confidence  are  almost  unknown. 
Every  Chinaman  received  into  the  service 
of  a  foreigner  is  expected  to  give  a  bail  bond 
for  his  honesty,  which  binds  all  his  rela- 
tives. Father,  mother,  wife  and  children 
would  ail  be  ruiaed  by  his  misconduct. 
Perhaps  in  western  lards  some  such  system 
will  have  to  be  adopted  to  insure  honeBty  in 
positions  of  trust. 

When  a  Chinaman  has  committed  a  crime 
which  has  made  him  amenable  to  the  laws 
he  is  very  apt  to  commit  suicide  and  cheat 
the  gallows.  He  is  very  sensitive  to  the 
disgrace  which  would  be  brought  upon  him- 
self and  his  family ;  although  I  do  not  think 
the  Chinese  entertain  any  high  moral  senti- 
ment which  would  lead  them  to  do  right 
because  it  is  right.  They  are  generous  and 
hospitable  to  a  fault,  aLd  for  the  sake  of  ap- 
pearances will  often  involve  themselves  in 
expenditures,  especially  at  weddings  and 
funerals,  that  keep  them  under  the  harrow 
for  years. 

la  the  streets  I  have  sometimss  seen  men 
quarreling  in  ths  fiercest  manner,  and  the 
blustering  tone  indicated  an   immediate  re- 


101 


sort  to  blows ;  but  it  was  sound  and  fury, 
signifying  nothing.  The  sing-song  tone  of 
two  Chinese  talking  together  is  very  cu- 
rious, and  unlike  an j  thing  I  ever  heard  in 
any  other  language.  Sometimes,  in  case  of 
deep  resentment,  their  method  of  obtaining 
revenge  on  an  adversary  is  characteristic. 
He  commits  suicide  by  taking  opium,  hav- 
ing previously  hired  Coolies  to  take  him  to 
die  at  the  door  of  his  adversary.  In  this 
way  ho  hopes  for  a  double  revenge,  by  the 
terrible  fright  he  will  give  his  enemy,  and 
also  the  opportunity  he  expects  to  have,  as 
a   disembodied  spirit,  to  do  him  harm. 

Even  in  the  cold  climate  of  northern  Chi- 
na there  are  scarcely  any  conveniences  for 
heating  the  houses.  Wood  and  fuel  of  all 
kinds  are  very  scarce,  and  extra  garments 
and  furs  are  everywhere  resorted  to  as  pro- 
lection  against  the  ccM.  Furs  of  the  most 
expensive  kinds  are  worn  by  the  wealthy 
classes,  ard  seem  to  be  looked  upon  as  an 
indication  of  rank  arid  weaith.  In  summer 
the  pawnbroker^  shops  are  tilled  with  ex- 
pensive clothing,  which  is  redeemed  in  the 
fall  upon  the  payment  of  a  rate  of  interest 
quite  low  compared  with  the  extortions  of 
these  establishments  among  western  na- 
tions. They  are  usually  large,  high,  and 
nearly  fire-proof  buildings,  under  strict 
govemmont  surveillance,  and  the  salest 
places  for  the  storage  of  valuables  to  be 
found  in  the  large  cities  where  fires  are  fre- 
quent and  very  destructive. 

The  garments  worn  by  both  sexes  are 
loose  and  fl  jwing.  the  styles  never  changing 
and  being  the  same  for  all  classes.  The 
fabric  worn  by  the  great  mass  of  the  people 
is  blue  hone  spun  cotton,  while  the  wealthy 
classes  wear  silk?,  satins,  gauzes,  furs  and 
broadcloth.  The  front  of  the  head  is  shaved, 
but  the  hair  on  the  top  and  back  part  is 
braided  into  the  queue.  To  this  false  hair 
is  added  and  a  braid  of  silk  at  the  end,  so 
that  it  reaches  almost  to  the  ground*  For 
full  mourning,  white  silk  is  braided  into 
the  qusue,  for  half  mourning  blue  is  the  ap- 
propriate color.  A  small  silk  cap  is  usually 
worn  both  in  the  house  and  street.  While 
to  work  the  Chinaman  usually  twists  his 
"pigtail"  round  his  head  to  be  out  of  tie 
way ;  but  it  is  considered  as  disrespectful 
for  a  servant  to  come  into  your  house  with 
his  queue  round  his  head  as  to  wear  his  hat 
into  your  drawing  room.  The  women,  of 
course,  never  shave  the  head  or  wear  the 
queue,  but  they  comb  their  hair  back  from 
the  forehead  and  do  it  up  in  the  most  elab- 


102 

orate  maimer,  with  a  profusion  of  gold  and 
silver  ornaments.  What  I  shall  call  the 
'•jag  handle"  style  ssems  to  be  the  most 
popular. 

The  custom  of  binding  the  girls'  feet  is 
not  so  universal  as  I  first  supposed.  It  is  a 
mark  of  gentility,  and  among  the  fashionable 
and  wealthy  classes  of  women  of  whom  the 
strarger  pees  very  few,  it  is  said  to  be  uni 
versal.  But  the  great  mass  of  the  poorer 
women  in  the  city  and  country  appear  to 
have  feet  of  the  natural  size.  I  have  seen 
in  the  shops  elegant  little  fchoes,  wnich  are 
designed  for  the  use  of  full  grown  women, 
less  than  three  inches  long;  and  occasionally 
in  the  streets  ladies  dressed  in  silks 
and  satins  may  be  seen  toddling 
along,  as  proud  of  their  little  feet, 
as  a  western  belle  would  be  of  her 
wasp  like  waist.  Fond  mothers  commence 
to  bind  their  daughter's  feet  when  very 
young  with  narrow  strips  of  cotton  wound 
tightly  about  them,  until  the  foot  assumes 
the  form  of  an  acute  triangle,  the  big  toe 
forming  the  apex,  the  others  being  bent 
under  the  foot  and  almost  absorbed  The  ef- 
fect of  this  deformity  is  to  produce  an  un- 
graceful, tottering  gait,  which,  however,  is 
associated  here  with  the  idea  of  good  breed- 
ing and  gentility. 

While  at  Shanghai  I  was  glad  to  accapt 
the  invitation  of  a  very  wealthy  Chinese 
merchant  to  visit  his  hcus?,  which  was  situ- 
ated in  the  old  Chinese  city.  Accompanied 
by  a  friend,  I  entered  through  a  half  ruined 
gateway,  and  threaded  the  narrow  streets 
reeking  with  filth,  an  abomination  to  any 
one  possessed  of  eyes  to  see  or  nose  to  smell 
with.  On  one  of  these  streets,  where  the 
green  and  slimy  water  standing  in  the  gut- 
ters on  either  feide  would  breed  a  pestilence, 
even  in  the  temperate  zone,  was  a  high  brick 
wall  and  in  the  csnter  a  heavily  barred  gate. 
At  our  summons  the  gate  was  opened  by  a 
well  dressed  porter,  and  we  entered  a  hand- 
some courtyard,  through  which  we  passed 
into  the  house  of  the  merchant.  He  met  us 
at  the  threshhold  and  bade  u«  welcome,  then 
led  the  way  through  several  suites  of  rooms 
elegantly  furnished  in  the  Chinese  style. 
Most  el&borate  carvings  in  stone  and  marble 
over  the  doorwayB,  and  in  one  room  the 
wainscoating  of  dark  wood  was  carve i  in 
bas  relief,  so  as  to  represent  a  legend  or 
story  of  Chinese  history.  Through  lour  or 
live  rooms,  each  more  elegant  than  the  pre- 
ceding, then  across  a  miniature  garden  filled 
with  rare  flowers,  and  bordered  with  dwarf 


103 


orange  traea  not  more  than  two  feet  high, 
but  covered  with  full-sized  fruit,  and  we 
reached  the  inner  sanctum. 

Here  our  host  showed  us  his  most  valuable 
"eurios,"  rare  gems  and  precious  stones,  a 
picture  on  silk  which  once  belonged  to  the 
Emperor  of  China,  and  was  five  hundred 
years  old.  H?  took  much  pride  in  his  eie 
gant  house,  which  we  told  him  was  "num- 
ber one,"  to  a  Chinaman  the  highest  praise 
you  can  express. 

Inviting  us  to  be  seated  he  regaled  U3  with 
tea  served  in  the  thinnest  of  porcelain  cups 
—and  such  tea  I  I  never  was  especially  fond 
of  the  "cap  that  cheers  but  not  inebriates," 
but  this  was  delicious.  A  few  dry  leaves 
were  put  in,  the  hot  water  poured  on  them, 
and  the  cup  covered  to  retain  the  aroma. 
Then  partially  removing  the  cover  we  sipped 
a  beverage  as  muea  superior  to  ordinary  tea 
as  the  delicate  Chablis  of  the  Rhine  diff  rs 
from  last  year's  cider. 

We  were  shown  into  the  room  especially 
fitted  up  for  opium  smoking,  and  invited  to 
take  a  pipe,  which  we  declined.  Oar  hosts' 
wife  is  said  to  be  very  handsome,  and  we 
wanted  to  have  a  glimpse  of  her,  but  we 
were  not  gratified,  and  it  is  not  etiquette  to 
enquire  after  the  wife  and  family.  The 
higher  class  of  Chinese  never  allow  their 
wives  or  daughters  to  be  seen  by  foreign- 
ers. 

Wealth,  luxury  and  good  taste  were  every- 
where to  be  seen  about  the  man?ion,  and  the 
owner  in  courtesy  of  manner  is  a  polished 
gentleman.  If  he  showed  a  pardona  ble  van- 
ity and  pride  in  exhibiting  his  place  to  us,  1 
thick  we  have  all  eeen  the  Earns  feeling  in 
showing  one's  beautiful  house  to  visitors 
among  western  barbarians.  After  spending 
an  hour  very  agreeably  we  took  our  leave, 
our  pjlite  host  accompanying  us  to  the 
outer  gate,  and  urging  us  to  come  agair. 
Outside  the  gate  the  squalor  and  the  filth 
of  the  street  seemed  more  disgusting  than 
ever  by  contrast  with  the  luxury  we  had 
just  left,  and  we  hastened  away  feeling  that 
it  is  but  a  thin  wall  that  divides  great  wealth 
and  extreme  penury  here  in  China  as  well 
as  in  London,  Paris  and  New  York. 

W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  SIXTEEN. 

Approach  to  Hong  Kong-Safely  Land- 
ed Under  the  Protection  of  a  Young: 
Amazon— Wonderful  Prosperity  of 
Hong  Kong— The  Greatest  Smuggling 
Depot  in  the  World-Manners  and 
Customs  of  the  People— The  Most 
Snobbish  Place  in  China — Street 
Scenes— Sepoys  from  India— Parsees— 
Black  Policemen— Justice  Swift  and 
Sure— A  Chinese  Jack  Cade— Broad 
Primmed  Hats— Sedan  Chairs-Climb- 
ing Victoria  Peak— Reception  to  Mr* 
Seward— A  Buckeye  Abroad  Who  is 
Creditable  to  His  Country. 

Hong  Kong,  January,  1871. 
It  was  a  warm  and  bright  Sunday  morn- 
ing when  the  French  steamer  "Phase" 
dropped  anchor  in  the  beautiful  harbor  of 
Hong  Kong,  and  my  impression  at  the  time 
has  been  confirmed  by  a  ten  days'  residence, 
that  this  is  the  most  picturesque  as  well  as 
one  of  the  most  spacious  harbors  in  the 
world.  Rio  Janeiro  is  said  to  resemble  it, 
but  neither  it  nor  the  Bay  of  Naplss  can 
rival  the  beauty  of  the  scene  before  us.  The 
mountain  rises  abruptly  from  the  water's 
edge,  and  is  crowned  by  "  Victoria  Peak," 
seventeen  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  The 
houses  are  built  tier  above  tier,  and  from 
the  water  it  seems  a  city  of  palacss,  stretch- 
ing far  up  the  hill  side,  and  for  more  than 
two  miles  along  the  shore.  Beyond  the 
town,  on  the  left,  I  see  the  "Happy  Valley," 
whTe  I  can  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Englich 
cemetery  embowered  in  tropical  foliage; 
for  with  all  its  beauty  of  location  Horg 
Kong  is  not  healthy,  and  many  an  Ameri- 
can and  European  who  has  come  to  this 
Eastern  land  in  search  of  a  fortune,  remains 
here  in  possession  only  of  six  feet  of  Chinese 
earth. 

Landing  here  is  but  a  repetition  cf  the 
scene  at  Shanghai,  but  I  have  learned  some, 
thing  by  experienee.  A  hundred  sampans 
surrounded  the  steamer,  some  manned  by 
males,  tut  the  greater  number  by  female?, 
and  the  shrill  pipes  cf  the  women  drown 
the  bass  tcne3  of  their  male  competitors.  I 
ean  over  the  rail,  and  before  leaving  the 
deck  close  my  contract  with  a  young  Ama- 


iff 

AS 

I- 

:1 


105 

zon  to  take  me  ashore,  and  have  no  further 
trouble.    Sae  fought  her  way  to  my  pile  of 
luggage,   manfully   shouldered   trunk    and 
valise,    and  I  had   only  to  follow   in    her 
w»ke  to   the   boat.,    the   crew   of   which, 
from   a    family  likeness,   I  judged  to   be 
her  mother  and  Bister.    In  five  minutes  more 
I  am  landed  at  a  fine  granite  pier,  and  fol- 
low six  coolies  carrying  my  luggage,  which 
would  be  a  light  load  for  one  Irish  porter, 
to  the  Hong  Kong  Hotel,  a  spacious,  airy 
Duilding,  with  wide    verandas   extending 
round  each  of  its  five  stories.    This  city, 
which  is  sometimes  called  the  St.  Helena  of 
the  Chinese  seas,  has  grown  very  rapidly, 
and  has  a  most  motley  population,  made  up 
of  every  European  and  Asiatic  nation.    It 
is  not  a  part  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  but  the 
island  on  which  it  is  situated,  containing 
about  thirty  square  miles,  was  ceded  by  the 
Chinese  government  to  Great  Britain  thirty 
years  ago,  and  forms  the  colony  of  Victoria, 
with  an  English  Governor  and  a  full  set  of 
officials  appointed  and  sent  out  from  home. 
The  population  is  about  150,000,  and  it  is 
growing  more  rapidly  than  any  other  place 
in  the  East.    It  is  a  free  port,  with  no  cus- 
tom house  or  port  charges  of  any  descrip- 
tion.   The  sum  of  five  dollars,  which  a  ves- 
sel pays  on  entering  the  harbor,  is  returned 
when  she  leaves.    With  a  land-locked  har- 
bor, safe  against  any  storm,  and  spacious 
enough  to  hold  all  the  navies  of  Europe,  eo 
close  to  the  ocean  and  easy  of  access  that  no 
pilots,  are  required,    Hong   Kong  has  be- 
come the  central  depot  for  shipping  and 
merchandise  on   the  coast  of  China.    The 
native  population  from  the  main  land  have 
made    this   barren   rock  their  home,  and 
built  up  a  Chinese  town  of  S0,000  people, 
which  stretches  along  the  western  shore  01 
the   bay,  and  is  creeping  through  the  ra- 
vines and  up  the  hillside,  attesting  the  un- 
tiring industry,  perseverenca  and  enterprise 
of  the  native  Chinese  when  in  the  pursuit  of 
gain.    Hong  Kong  is  the  postal  and  financial 
centre  of  the  Chinese  seas,  and  here  are  lo- 
cated the  heads  of  msrcantile  firms,  who  de- 
termine the  destination  of  ships  and  cargoes 
composing  the   foreign  trade  with  China. 
Trade  converges  here  as  to  a  great  centre  of 
attraction.    From  my  room  in  the  hotel  I 
can  see  ships  of  war,    trading  iunks    and 
mercantile  craft  from  almost  every  country. 
Over  twenty  steamers  are  anchored  in  the 
harbor,  and  native  vessels  in  great  numbers 
from  the  adjoining  coast,  each  differing  in 
shape  and  color,  according  to  the  port  they 


106 

are  from,  crowd  the  anchorage  on  the  west 
&ide  of  the  hartnr.  Here  are  junks  from 
every  port  between  Shantung,  1,200  miles 
north,  and  Siam,  Singapore,  J<*va  and  the 
PhLlipine  Islands.  A  Ca*nese  sailor  will 
distinguish  where  they  ccme  from  by  differ- 
ence in  shape  and  rigging,  paint  and  decora- 
tion ;  and,  if  honest,  may  tell  you  where 
stout-built  junks  are  lying  undisturbed,  with 
a  pirate  crew,  and  nearly  fitted  out  with  a 
fresh  supply  of  guns  and  powder.  Only  it 
would  not  answer  to  trust  him  implicitly, 
for  he  may  belong  to  a  piratical  craft  him- 
self, and  put  you  on  a  false  scent. 

It  may  be  asked  what  is  the  secret  of  this 
sudden  and  enormous  growth  of  a  barren 
rock  in  population  and  commercial  impor- 
tance, when  the  main  land  close  by  has 
many  commodious  harbors,  nearer  the  pro- 
ducing markets  and  the  native  purchasers  of 
foreign  goods.  The  answer  to  this  question 
shows  another  side  of  the  picture,  not  cred- 
itable to  British  commercial  ethics.  When 
poor  China  was  forced,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
cannon,  to  cede  this  island,  lying  in  the 
highway  of  the  immense  cammerce  of  Can- 
ton river,  to  Great  Britain,  she  did  not 
dream  that  it  would  become  the  greatest 
smuggling  depot  in  the  world.  That  the  body 
and  soul  destroying  drug,  which  she  was 
trying  to  keep  out  of  the  reach  of  her  teem- 
ing millions,  would  here  be  stored  in  im- 
mense quantities,  and  smuggled  to;the  main- 
land in  spite  of  all  her  efforts  to  prevent 
that  cargoes  of  foreign  goods  en  which  she 
had  the  right  to  levy  an  import  duty,  would 
from  this  central  point  be  run  into  every 
creek  and  bay  along  the  coast  where  they 
could  be  landed  by  bribing  the  officials. 
That  tea,  camphor,  cassia,  sugar  aed  other 
products  of  China, which  pay  an  export  duty 
at  the  consular  ports  should  go  to  Hong  Kong 
free.  This  illicit  trade  which  an  English 
writer  speaks  of  as  the  "encouragement  of 
commerce  at  the  expense  of  revenue,"  is 
neither  more  or  less  than  smuggling,  and 
from  it  the  fortunes  of  the  Hong  Kong  mer- 
chants have  been  made.  Verily  the  poor 
"heathen  Chinee"  has  very  few  rights  which 
J  ohn  Bull  is  bound  to  respect. 

Hong  Kong  has  the  reputation  of  being 
the  most  snobbish  place  in  the  east, and  in  my 
short  experience  I  have  seen  much  to  con- 
firm this  idea.  Being  a  miniature  provirce 
with  a  governor  who  represents  royalty, 
and  a  set  of  tide-writers  and  hangers-on 
Jresh  from  the  old  country,  English  habits 
and  manners  are  not  ctly    adopted   as   the 


107 


standard,  but  exaggerated,  so  as  to  become 
almost  ludicrous.  To  be  a  "Boyal  Britain" 
here  is  to  worship  everything  that  bears  the 
semblance  of  royalty— unicorns,  lions  grif- 
fins and  crown.  The  effrontery  and  arro- 
gates of  John  Bull  is  proverbial  all  over  the 
world,  but  in  the  east  the  bovine  animal 
roars  and  bellows  in  his  loudest  ton?,  paws 
the  ground  and  tosses  his  head  in  the  most 
defiant  manner.  This  may  be  excusable  in 
a  nation  on  •'  whose  dominions  the  sun  never 
sets,"  but  what  shall  I  say  of  Americans  re- 
siding here  for  a  few  years,  who  adopt  the 
tone  and  air  of  the  cockney,  cultivate  side 
whiskers,  sneer  at  everything  American, 
and  especially  affect  to  dsspise  Rgpublican 
institutions.  At  dinner  parties  you  will 
hear  sentiments  expressed  by  Americans 
anything  but  complimentary  to  their  native 
lard,  sneers  at  American  consuls  and  cffi. 
cials  abroad,  and  that,  too,  in  the  presence 
of  foreigners.  I  am  almost  ashamed  to  re- 
cord an  instance  of  snobbery  that  occurred 
here  not  long  since.  An  American  mer- 
chant, born  in  Boston,  but  for  some  years  a 
resident  of  Hong  Kong,  who  aspires  to  social 
position  among  the  English  nobs,  said  to  the 
Governor  of  the  colony  that  "he  would  wil- 
lingly give  ten  years  of  his  life  if  he  had 
only  been  born  an  Englishman."  The  bluff 
.  old  Governor,  disgusted  at  such  flunkeyism, 
administered  a  stinging  rebuke  that  brought 
the  mantle  of  shame  to  the  cheek  of  the  ren- 
egade American.  That  line  of  Saxe,  "Born 
in  Boston  needs  no  second  birth,"  does  not 
apply  to  him. 

This  loss  ot  national  prids  among  Ameri- 
cans which  the  air  of  China  seems  to  pro- 
duce, was  illustrated  last  fourth  of  July  by 
the  captain  of  the  Pac'fic  Mail  steamer 
China,  on  her  way  from  Hong  Kong  to  San 
Francisco.  It  was  suggested  by  the  Amer- 
icans abroad  that  he  ought  to  dress  the  ship 
with  flasks,  and  in  some  suitable  manner  cel- 
ebrate our  national  holiday.  But  the  cer- 
tain declined  to  do  so  for  fear  that  the  Eng- 
lish passengers  might  take  offence.  This, 
too,  on  an  American  built  steamer,  sailing 
under  the  Amercan  11  ig,  and  belonging  to  a 
line  that  was  receiving  a  subsidy  of  half  a 
million  dollars  a  year  from  the  American 
government. 

I  do  not  say  that  all  Americans  in  China 
are  like  thesi  I  have  noticed  above— but 
the  feeling  which  I  condemn  is  so  common 
as  to  give  a  tone  to  American  society,  espe- 
cially in  Hong  Kong,  and  be  noticeable  to 
any  one  fresh  irom  home,  who  cherishes 


lu> 


that  amor  patria&whiuli,  while  not  blind  to 
our  national  faults,  would  at  least  never  pa- 
rade our  soiled  linen  before  our  neighbors 
eyes. 

One  class  of  Americans  wherever  1  have 
met  them  seem  to  cherish  a  deep  love  and 
sffaction  for  their  native  land,  the  Missiona- 
ries. There  seems  to  be  very  little  social 
h.timacy  between  them  and  the  merchants. 
They  give  no  expensive  dinner  parties  nor 
entertainments,  but  devote  themselves  quiet- 
ly to  their  blessed  work.  They  are  eoms- 
times  refered  to  snesrinaiiy  by  their  money - 
making  countrymen,  whose  conduct,  as  an 
illustration  of  christian  morality,  is  not  al- 
ways a  bright  example  to  tfie  heathen. 

These  small  communities  of  Europeans 
are  subjsct  to  rules  of  etiquette  as  inexora- 
ble as  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians. 
The  gentlemen  in  society  being  far  more 
numerous  than  the  ladies,  it  is  considered 
proper  for  a  stranger  to  call  on  any  or  all 
the  ladies  without  special  permission,  or 
even  an  introduction.  If  considered  an  eli- 
gible acquaintance,  the  husband  of  the  lady 
returns  the  call,  the  new-comer  is  invited  to 
dine,  and  considered  as  admitted  to  terms 
of  social  intercourse.  If  not  considered  a 
desirable  acquaintance,  his  csll  is  simply  ig- 
nored. The  Hong  Kong  club  excludes  every 
person  who  sells  goods  by  retail.  He  ia  not 
considered  by  the  snobs  here  a  gentleman,  no 
matter  how  extensive  his  business  or  how 
great  his  wealth  or  culture.  A.  T.  Stewart, 
if  residing  here,  could  not  become 
a  member  of  this  woud-be  austo- 
cratic  and  very  exclusive  c^ub,  which 
is  the  only  one  in  the  place.  The  thermom- 
eter may  stand  at  120°  in  the  shade,  but  a 
black  dress  coat  must  always  be  worn  at 
dinner,  whether  ladies  are  present  or  not.  I 
was  told  that  in  some  of  the  bachelor  hongs, 
as  the  dwellings  attached  to  the  large  mer- 
cantile houses  are  called,  it  is  not  considered 
the  thing  to  appear  at  breakfast  even  except 
in  full  drees.  .Suah  snobbishness  carries  its 
own  penalty  and  is  a  subject  of  ridicule  to 
strangers  from  every  other  country  than 
England,  instead  of  impressing  them  with 
the  wonderful  exclusiveness  and  high  breed- 
ing of  society  here. 

The  streets  of  Hong  Kong  are  more  cos- 
mopolitan than  any  others  I  have  seen  in 
China.  A  regiment  of  red-coated  Sepoys 
from  India  is  stationed  here  and  I  frequently 
meet  the  soldiers  in  the  street.  They  are 
tall,  firm  looking  men,  dark  complexion, 
Asiatic  profile,  keen  black  eyes,  and   have 


3r 


ion 


the  bearing  of  men  who  can  fight.  Their 
c  ommissioned  officers  are  all  Englishmen, 
but  the  chevrous  on  the  sleeves  show  that 
there  is  a  chance  for*  promotion  to  a  native 
up  to  a  certain  grade.  I  am  told  that  they 
are  Sikhs  from  the  Paunjaub  in  Morthern 
India,  which  did  cot  join  in  the  revolt 
against  the  British  in  1857.  They  all  wear 
white  helmet-shaped  pith  hats,  which  are 
universal  in  India, 

Here  I  sec  for  the  first  time  the  Parsees, 
disciples  of  Zoroaster,  and  sun- worshippers. 
They  are  most  numerous  in  Bombay,  I  u ;  a 
few  can  be  seen  scattered  throughout  the 
whole  east.  They  are  no  daiker  in  com- 
plexion than  Cubans,  but  are  a  larger  and 
finer-looking  race3  msn  of  education,  and 
first-class  merchants.  Their  dress  is  Euro- 
pean, except  the  tall  Mitre  or  hat,  which  is 
peculiar  to  the  sect,  It  reminds  me  of  a 
brown,  gbzed  muff  box,  worn  a  little  on  the 
back  of  the  head,  without  visor  or  any  pro- 
tection for  the  eyes. 

The  motly  population  of  Hong  Kong  in- 
cludes a  large  proportion  of  rascals  from 
e?evy  clime,and  makes  a  very  large  number 
of  psiiea  nec3S3ary,  over  six  hundred,  ot 
whom  nearly  one  half  are  negroes.  In  answer 
to  my  enquiry  to-day,  one  of  them  told  me 
he  "was  a  subject  of  the  Qieen  from  Jamai- 
ca." He  had  never  bsen  in  the  United 
States  and  thought  there  was  too  much 
prejudice  against  color  there  to  suit  him." 

In  the  heart  of  the  city  is  an  immense 
jail  with  seven  hundred  inmatss,  mostly 
Chinese,  who  work  on  the  street  chained 
together  and  guarded  by  soldiers.  Punish- 
ment to  a  Chinaman  is  swift  and  sure  if 
caught  transgressing  the  laws.  A  few  days 
ago  a  friend  of  mine  arrived  on  the  Pacific 
Mail  steamer  "G-est  R2public,"  from  Sin 
1  Domicgo,  and  leaving  his  luggage  locked 
in  his  stateroom,  he  tock  a  walk  up  town. 
A  waiter  who  was  passing  his  room  heard  a 
slight  rustling  noise,  and  looking  through 
the  keyhole  he  espied  a  Coolie,  who  had 
crawled  in  through  the  window,  rifling  the 
baggage.  Ha  gave  the  alarm  and  the  fellow 
was  secured  and  taken  ashore  to  the  office 
of  the  Company.  Here  he  broke  away 
from  his  captors  and  dashed  through  the 
crowd,  but  was  caught  by  his  pigtail,  which 
streamed  out  behind  in  his  rapid  movement. 
He  was  then  led  by  the  queuo  to  the 
Magistrate's  office,  and  within  an  hour 
from  the  time  he  was  first  caught,  he  found 
himself  in  the  chain  gang,  with  six  months 
before  him  of  hard  work. 


110 

A  C'Dinc-.-e  "Jack  Cade,"  before  starting 
out  oils  his  body,  wearing  only  such  gar- 
ments as  will  readily  slip  cff,  and  fills  bis 
queue  with  bits  of  glass.  As  they  rarely 
carry  ar**#s  they  are  not  very  darg^rous, 
but  decidedly  slppery  customers  and  bard 
to  hold. 

The  hits  worn  by  the  natives  are  very 
odd  looking,  and  quite  different  from  thesa 
usually  seen  in  Northern  China  It  is  of 
bamboo,  very  light,  and  often  three  feet  in 
diameter,  curving  up  from  the  edge  cf  the 
brim  to  the  centre  like  the  lid  of  a  tea-pc*. 
In  Chinese  towns,  where  the  streets  are 
narrow,  two  such  hats  cannot  pass  each 
other  without  colliding,  and  they  have  to  be 
carried  under  the  arm. 

The  b2st  institution  I  b&vs  seen  in  Horg 
Kong  is  the  Sedan  chairs.  Tne  doors  of  the 
hotel  are  besieged  with  them,  and  they  are 
everywhere  to  be  hired  for  a  very  small 
sum,  which  is  regulated  bv  the  city  govern- 
ment like  ihefare  cf  hackney  coaches.  It 
is  cheaper  to  ride  than  go  on  foot,  and  they 
are  used  by  everybody,  as  the  streets  are 
mostly  tco  steep  for  carriages  drawn  by 
horses.  They  are  made  of  bamboo  and  cane, 
very  light,  and  comfortable,  with  ■  greet 
canopy  to  keep  cff  the  sun,  a;  d  supported 
by  bamboo  poles  about  ten  feet  long,  restirg 
on  the  shoulders  of  two  coolies,  who  slide 
rapidly  over  the  ground  at  a  pace  between 
a  walk  and  a  trot.  As  I  look  from  my  win- 
dow I  see  a  sailor  coming  up  the  street  in  a 
chair,  with  his  feet  eievated  over  the  ^dash- 
board n  and  lying  back  with  great  dignity, 
smoking  a  cigar.  Late  every  night  I  hear 
the  ■ 'won't  go  heme  till  morning,"  eung  in 
full  chorus  by  bands  of  sailors,  cut  en  a 
bender,  who  sweep  through  the  center  of 
the  street  arm  in  arm.  The  police  never 
seem  to  interfere  wiih  such  demoiietratiors 
on  the  part  o'  ich'ie  men. 

A  few  days  ago,  with  some  friends,  I  ar- 
cended  to  the  summit  cf  Victoria  Peak, 
from  which  there  is  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  whole  island  of  Horg  Ksng  and  many 
mile?  out  to  sea.  Four  coolies  to  each  chair 
carried  us  up  the  wicding  path,  and  in  some 
places  the  ascent  was  so  steep  that  I 
pitied  my  perspiring  ■  -bearers"  and  got 
out  and  walked— a  piece  cf  human- 
ity quite  unexpected.  On  the  summit 
is  a  tall  flag-staff,  a  powerful  telescope,  and 
a  cannon  in  charge  of  a  guard,  who  sig- 
nals to  the  town  below  the  approach  of 
every  shiD  long  before  see  can  reach  the 
anchorage.    He  explained  to  us  his  system 


::: 


NUMBER  SEVENTEEN. 

American  Steamrm  in  China— Up  the 
Canton  Rivtr— My  Fellow  Passen- 
ger*—The  £ogue  Forts— Pagodas- 
Commodore  F'iote  and  the  Barrier 
Forts— Fleet  of  Boats— Charmine— 
Temple  of  Honam— Tranimigration 
of  Souls— Street  Scenes  in  l  anton— 
Cat  and  Dog  Meat  Shops— Pa wnbro 
kers— Curiosity  Shops— Soothing  Syr- 
up—Temple of  500  Genii— Temple  of 
Confucius— Temple  of  Longevity- 
Flower  Pagoda— Execution  Ground- 
Examination  Hal'. 

Canton,  China,  January  1871. 
Although  Americans  are  far  behind  the 
British  in  commercial  importance  on  the 
Chinese  coast,  in  the  matter  of  river  steam 
ers,  we  have  the  monopoly.  The  swift, 
side-wheel,  Amer.can  built  steamboats  have 
driven  the  slower,  blsck,  English  boats  out 
f  f  the  market.  The  navigation  of  the  great 
Yangtse  river  for  600  miles  from  Shanghai 
to  Haakow  is  in  the  hands  of  Americans. 
The  n>'e  large  steamers  that  ply  on  the 
Yangtse,  some'of  them  1,500Loe8  burden, 
lock  precisely  like  those  on  the  Sound  or 
Hudson  river.  This  great  artery  of  the  Chi- 
nese Empire,  the  Yangtse,  is  sometimes  by 
our  English  cousins  in  derision,  called  the 
"Yankee,"  from  the  many  American  steam- 
ers on  its  waters. 

From  Hong  Hong  to  Canton  there  is  an 
other  line  of  American-built  boats  which 
control  the  immense  passenger  traffic  be- 
tween these  two  places.  The  distance  is 
over  one  hundred  miles,  and  boats  leave 
daily  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  reach- 
ing their  destination  in  about  seven  hours. 
I  stepped  on  board  the  "Fire  King,"  was 
introduced  to  the  Csptain,  an  American, 
Albert,  an  ex-rebel  officer  from  Georgia, 
but  now  tolerably  well  reconstructed,  and 
cculd  almost  imagine  I  was  in  America  and 
about  to  take  a  trip  up  the  Hudson.  One 
peculiarity  of  all  these  river  boats  is  that 
the  first-class  cabins  are  forward,  which 
makes  them  much  pleasanter  in  a  warm  cli- 


113 


mate,  as  we  are  sure  of  a  fine  coast  breeze, 
with  a  better  view  of  the  Ecenery,  no  smoke 
or  bad  odors  from  beited  oil,  and  much  lees 
j  *r  from  the  machinery. 

After  breakfast  the  cxptain  very  kindly 
showed  me  over  the  boat,  which  was 
crowded  with  Chinese  passengers,  although 
there  were  only  ten  or  twelve  Europeans  in 
the  forward  saloon.  The  main  cabin  aft 
was  filled  with  the  better  class  of  Chinese, 
mostly  merchant?,  and  quite  a  number  of 
small  footed  ladies.  Every  party  had  their 
chiw  chovo,  or  lurch  boxes.  Most  of  the 
people  were  dressed  in  silk  or  broadcloth 
robes,  and  were  squatted  on  fine  mats  on  the 
flaor,  while  the  luggage  was  piled  on  chairs 
and  seats.  On  the  main  dsck  were  the  sec- 
ond class  natives,  piled  in  so  close  that  it 
was  difficult  to  pass  through.  They  were 
gathered  in  groups  smoking,  some  tobacco, 
and  a  few  opium,  and  nearly  all  were  gam- 
bling. So  inveterate  is  the  habit  of  gam- 
bling that  when  a  boy  invests  his  copper 
cash  in  a  handful  of  nuts  he  will  bet  with 
the  seller  whether  the  number  is  odd  or 
even,  or  as  to  the  number  of  seeds  in  an 
orange,  agreeing  if  he  loses  to  pay  two  cash 
instead  of  one.  The  officers  of  the  Fire  King 
are  Americans,  but  of  course  the  crew  are 
coolies.  The  Chinese  appreciate  the  value 
of  time,  for  the  common  people  pay  a  dollar 
fare  for  a  seven  hours  ride  in  the  steamer, 
rather  than  go  in  a  junk  for  a  quarter  that 
sum  and  be  two  or  three  days  on  the  way. 
To  show  how  much  behind  the  times  are 
the  English  guide  book*,  if  you  refer  to 
'Bradshaw"  you  will  find  it  recorded  ihat 
"to  go  from  Hong  Kong  to  Canton  you  must 
tske  a  native  junk,"  although  a  daily  line  of 
steamers  have  been  running  for  over  ton 
years. 

The  first  fifty  miles  of  the  route  seems 
more  like  a  broad  bay  than  a  river,  aid  we 
thread  our  way  swiftly,  without  a  collision 
fortunately,  through  fleets  of  jucke,  some 
very  large  and  gay*y  painted,  and  nearly  all 
armed  with  rusty  old  cannon,  that  look 
more  dangerous  to  the  gunners  than  to  the 
target  they  are  aimed  at. 

At  the  narrow  entrance  to  the  Pearl 
River  we  pass  quite  close  to  the  JBogue 
forts,  once  quite  formidable  tut  now  in 
ruins.  The  British  battered  them  down  in 
1856,  and  the  shattered  granite  blocks  re- 
main as  they  were  left;  at  the  close  of  the 
bombardment.  Here  I  catch  the  first  sight 
of  a  pagoda,  perhaps  150  feet  high  with  nine 
stories.    It  is  curious  that  all  the  pagodas  in 


114 

China  are  built  with  three,  five,  seven  or 
nine  stories— always  an  odd  number.  These 
towers  or  monuments,  theugh  sometimes 
connected  with  temples,  are  not  considered 
especially  sacred.  Some  of  them  are  very 
o  d  and  nearly  all  dilapidated.  Frequently 
large  shrubs  and  bushes  are  growing  from 
crannies  in  the  walls,  where  seeds  have  been 
ledged  by  the  winds.  They  are  substan- 
tially built  of  bricks  or  stone,  with  outside 
galleries  round  every  story,  and  foim  a  very 
characteristic  and  beautiful  feature  in  Chi- 
nese lard  scapes.  It  is  supposed  that  they 
were  originally  designed  as  depositories  of 
revered  relics  or  to  commemorate  some 
noted  person.  That  they  are  now  neglected 
and  in  ruins  is  quoted  by  Chinese  Old  Fcgiea 
as  an  illustration  of  the  degeneracy  of  mod* 
em  times. 

As  the  river  narrows  we  see  on  both  sides 
people  at  work  in  the  rice  fielde,  and  the 
country  seems  highly  cultivated  and  very 
populous.  We  now  approach  Whampoa, 
quite  a  large  city,  where  all  the  foreign 
ships  are  anchored,  as  there  is  not  sufficient 
depth  of  water  above  for  them  to  ascend  the 
ten  mile3  between  here  and  Canton.  Near 
by  are  the  famous  Barrier  forts,  dismantled 
and  in  ruins.  These  had  an  especial  in- 
terest to  me  as  the  scene  when  the 
gallant  Commodore  Foote  laid  his  ship  along- 
side the  Chinese  forts  and  qu  cily  battered 
them  down,  the  soldiers  skedaddling  through 
the  gates  in  the  rear  and  never  returning. 
The  boats  from  our  squadron,  carrying  the 
American  flag,  had  been  frequently  fired  en 
from  these  forts,  and  to  remonstrances  and 
demands  tor  explanation  and  apology,  noth- 
ing but  Chinese  verbiage  could  be  obtained ; 
until  at  last  the  Commodore's  patience  be- 
ing exhausted,  he  taught  them  to  respect 
the  "stars  and  stripes"  by  battering  down 
their  forts.  This  is,  I  believe,  the  only 
time  the  American  eagle  has  set  his  claws 
in  the  Chinese  dragon,  and  the  lesson  has 
had  a  very  salutary  ffect.  As  an  illustration 
of  Chinese  inconsistency  and  insolence,  the 
Mandarin  Governor  of  Canton,  after  an 
humble  apology  for  the  "  mistake"  of  firing 
on  the  boats  of  a  friendly  nation  carrying 
the  national  flier,  proposes  that  an  Ameri- 
can flsgoesent  to  him,  so  that  in  future 
his  officers  might  know  and  be  able  to  rec- 
ognize it.  This,  after  half  a  century  of  in- 
ternational intercourse ! 
As  we  approach  the  great  city  the  "  Fire 

King"  slackens    speed,   for  the   beats  and 
native  craft  seem  to  almost  completely  cover 


115 


the  water  around  us,  and  for  miles  ahead. 
Many  of  these  boats  are  the  homes  of  whole 
families  who  spend  their  lives  upon  the 
water.  Here  they  are  bora,  here  they  eat 
and  sleep  and  here  they  die.  It  is  said  that 
more  than  one  hundred  thousand  people 
thu3  spend  their  lives  upon  the  river  and 
know  no  other  home.  "We  land  near  the 
eigbt  of  the  foreign  "  factories,"  or  business 
houses,  which  were  all  destroyed  by  the 
Chinese  in  1856  After  the  war  the  govern- 
ment conceded  a  tract  ot  several  hundred 
acres  to  the  foreigners  for  their  sole  occupa. 
tion,  which  is  called  "  Charm  jie." 
It  is  certainly  charmingly  situated 
along  the  river  bank,  separated 
from  the  native  city  by  a  wide 
canal,  and  laid  out  in  grass  plots  and  avenues 
of  trees.  Here  are  the  fligstaff-  of  the  for- 
eign consuls,  a  neat  English  church,  and 
twelve  or  fifteen  large  and  stately  edifices  of 
foreign  merchants,  that  Icok  like  palpces  in 
contrast  with  the  vast  collection  of  mean, 
one-story  hcu-es  that  spread  out  for  miles  in 
the  rear.  There  are  altogether  but  about 
fifty  Europeans  and  Americans  in  this  city 
of  over  a  million  inhabitants.  The  govern- 
ment is  weak  and  feeble,  and  in  case  of  a 
P9pular  outbreak,  nothing  could  save  them 
from  instant  destruction. 

Most  of  the  city  is  built  on  the  north  side 
cf  the  river,  and  the  houses  seem  very  low 
and  mean.  Ihe  pawnbrokers  establish- 
ments, large,  tall,  fqia.re  towers,  rise  high 
above  the  tiled  roofs,  and  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  town  is  an  immense  lattice  work  of 
bamboo  poles,  looking  like  a  gigantic  bird 
cige,  which  I  am  told  is  the  staging  around 
the  new  Catholic  Cathedral,  commenced 
three  years  ago  and  yet  unfinished. 

We  reached  Canton  at  two  o'clock,  and 
after  reporting  myself  at  Oliphant  &  Co'?, 
whose  guest  I  wa3  during  my  three  days 
visit,  for  there  are  no  hotels  here.  I  started 
out  to  see  the  sights,  but  I  could  not  venture 
into  such  a  msza  of  narrow  streets,  where 
not  a  soul  understands  a  word  even  of 
"pigeon  English,''  without  a  guide.  I  found 
Arr-Kum,avery  intelligent  Chinaman,  who 
had  been  in  California,  and  speaks  quite 
good  English.  1  can  recommend  him  as  one 
o'  the  most  civil  ana  obliging  of  guides.  He 
laid  out  a  three  days  programme  which  we 
afterwards  carried  out  to  the  letter.  Our 
first  visit  was  to  the  grest  Temple  of  Hon- 
am  one  of  the  oldest  and  richest  in  Canton, 
which  is  located  on  the  south  or 
Honam     side     of   the     river.    Taking     a 


116 


Sampsan  we  were  quickly  set  across, 
and  lauded  at  a  stone  pier  near 
the  gate  of  the  temple.  The  grounds  to  this 
establishment,  which  is  a  Buddhist  monas- 
tery, comprise  perhaps  fifty  acres.  Enter- 
ing a  long  avenue  shaded  by  fine  old  trees, 
we  came  to  a  flight  of  stone  steps  leading  to 
a  terrace,  upon  which  is  the  principal  tem- 
ple, a  very  large  building  with  projecting 
eaves  and  cornices  richly  carved  with  fig- 
ures of  dragons  and  other  non-descript  ani- 
mals. The  high  curved  roof  and  bright 
color?,  as  well  as  the  general  style  of  archi- 
tecture, were  similar  to  the  Buddhist  tem- 
ple in  Japan.  Oa  eacn  side  of  the  doorway 
was  a  huge,  grotesque  wocden  image,  armed 
with  a  club,  to  keep  out;  bad  spirits.  Inside, 
upon  a  raised  platform  ia  the  the  center, 
were  three  idols,  at  least  twenty  feet  high 
and  sitting  cross-legged  upon  a  bed  of  lotus 
flowers.  These,  I  was  told,  represented  the 
Past,  Present  and  Future.  In  front  of  the 
idob  were  burning  many  joss  sticks,  about 
the  size  of  pipe-etems,  made  ot  sandal-wood 
and  filling  the  building  with  fragrance. 
Worshippers  were  coming  in  and  out,  each 
one  kneeling  before  the  altar,  bowing  and 
muttering  prayers,  especially  before  the 
"Future,"  and  lighting  their  votive  joss- 
sticks,  which  they  stuck  in  little  jars  dl]ed 
with  earth.  There  are  about  sixty  priests 
attached  to  this  temple,  and  we  walked 
through  the  wide  stone  cloisters  and  large 
open  courts  to  the  gardens,  where  there  is  a 
pond  well  stocked  with  fish,  and  a  great  va- 
riety of  tropical  fruits  and  v?g  stables.  We 
looked  into  the  spacious  kitchen  and  dining 
roem,  and  met  several  of  the  priests,  who 
looked  as  well  fed  and  jolly  as  any  lot  of 
monks  to  be  ;ound  in  a  Christian  country. 

The  Buddhists  believe  in  the  transmigra- 
tion of  souls,  and  thst  in  the  future  life  we 
may  have  to  do  penance  for  cur  sins,  by  a 
descent  in  the  scale  of  creation,  and  being 
condemned  for  a  time  to  occupy  the  bodies 
of  animals.  This  is  a  most  suggestive  idea, 
and  will  account  for  certain  qualities  which 
sometime  crop  out  in  the  character  and  action 
of  persons  we  know.  Illustrations  of  this 
will  occur  to  every  reader.  It  also  leads  to 
humanity  in  the  treatment  of  animals,  for 
who  knows  but  the  as?,  the  horse,  or  the 
dog  about  him,  may  contain  the  imprisoned 
soul  *f  some  near  relative.  In  the  grounds 
attached  to  the  temple,  I  was  shown  a 
dozen  or  more  hogs,  very  fat  and  better  fed 
than  half  the  Chinese  population.  When 
I  innocently  poked  them  with  my  cane,  they 


117 


grunted  entire  satisfaction  with  their  pres- 
ent condition.  The  priests  caie  for  them 
very  tenderly,  for  they  b  'lieve  that  they 
contain  the  imprisoned  spirits  of  soma  de- 
funct members  of  their  own  order.  It  is  to 
be  heped  that  when  they  are  once  more  ele- 
vated to  the  grade  of  humanity,  thty  will 
leave  behind  all  their  swinish  propensities 
and  traits  of  character. 

I  arranged  with  Arr-Kum  for  an  early 
start  the  next  morning,  and  he  was  on  hand 
at  nine  o'clock,  with  two  Bedim  chairs,  each 
provided  with  an  extra  set  of  coolies  for  a 
hard  day's  tramp,  and  we  dove  into  the 
heart  of  the  great  city.  I  c?.u  give  but  the 
merest  outline  of  the  curious  sights  of  these 
two  days.  To  de&cribe  them  all  would  oc- 
cupy too  much  space.  The  streets  are  very 
narrow,  scarcely  admitting  of  two  chairs 
passing  each  other,  and  all  were  naved  with 
flat  stones  and  tolerably  clean*  Each  street 
is  devoted  to  some  especial  trade,  and  the 
din  of  the  venders  of  all  sorts  of  eatables 
was  sometimes  terrifis.  The  signs  were  all 
vertical,  and  in  red  or  yellow  letters.  Every 
bhop  is  open  to  the  street,  and  all  sorts  of 
manufacturing  can  be  seen  without  enter- 
ing. My  coolias  slid  along  as  rapidly  as 
the  crowded  thoroughfare  would  permit, 
and  in  the  two  days  they  must  have  trav- 
eled twenty-five  miles,  winding,  twisting 
and  turning  in  every  direction.  I  did  not 
meet  a  European  or  American  anywhere  in 
the  city,  and  was,  of  course,  stared  at  by 
ihe  natives  wherever  I  went.  A  few 
years  ago  I  should  have  been  hooted  at 
and  called  a  Fankwei,  or  "foreign  devil," 
but  now  the  salutation  waR  "Taipan"  or 
"Lord,"  and  many  with  outstretched  palms 
solicited  "  Kennshaw*"  or  a  gratuity  of  cop- 
per cash.  In  some  of  the  fashionable  streets 
there  are  large  shops  filled  with  elegant 
silks,  gold  and  silver  embroideries,  fine 
porcelain,  most  expensive  furs  and  rich  jew- 
elry. In  the  silk-weaving  quarter  they 
were  weaving  with  hand  looms,  the  beauti- 
ful fabrics  at  the  rate  of  half  a  yard  a  day 
In  the  paper  joss  shops  are  all  sorts  of  cu- 
rious decorations  for  their  idols.  Oie  street 
was  devoted  to  "wedding  chairs,"  where 
these  gay  ard  festive  vehicles  are  kept  for 
hire.  The  cap  business  occupied  a  very 
long  street,  und  the  shoe  trade  another.  The 
flour  mills  were  most  primitive,  the  work 
being  all  done  by  hand  labor.  In  the  cafes 
and  eating  houses  were  all  sorts  of  tempting 
viands,  among  which  the  brown,  crisp 
roast  pig  was  the  most  conspicuous.    One 


118 

narrow  lane  was  devoted  to  cat  and  dog 
meat,  where  pussy  and  Carlo  were  sizzling 
in  the  frying  pans,  and  others  with  legs 
tied  were  lying  on  the  floor,  mewing  and 
yelping  most  piteously.  "While  in  front  of 
one  of  these  shops  a  little  girl  came  along 
with  a  pretty  white  kitten  in  her  arms, 
destined  for  the  spit.  White  is  the  favorite 
color  with  epicures  in  cats,  but  black  is 
generally  preferred  in  doga.  It  i3  but  fair 
to  the  ■  'Heathen  Chinee"  to  eay,  that  this 
diet  is  not  considered  "first-class."  and  is 
only  eaten  by  the  poorer  classes. 

I  called  at  a  pawnbroker's  shop,  and  was 
introducod  to  the  proprietor,  a  hard  faced, 
book- nosed  old  fellow,  with  a  corps  of 
clerks  behind  him,  busy  making  entries  in 
large  folios  Ha  was  seated  on  a  high  bench 
paseing  judgment  as  to  the  value  of  some 
article  which  &  poor  woman  with  downcast 
eyes  was  cff  iiing.  Just  the  sight  one  may 
see  in  London,  Paris  or  New  York,  for  hu- 
man Kature  is  the  same  all  the  world  over. 
One  of  the  young  Levis  was  detailed 
to  show  me  up  to  the  top  of  the 
building.  Every  story  wa3  crammed 
fall  of  packages,  each  neatly  tied  up  and 
laoeled.  As  I  stood  on  the  roof,  from  which 
there  was  a  fine  view  of  the  whole  city,  and 
of  the  White  Cloud  Hills  far  away  to  the 
south,  I  noticed  that  Levi  was  examining 
closely  the  quality  of  my  coat,  and  with  an 
eye  to  business,  looking  very  sharply  at  the 
small  diamond  pin  I  wore.  He  was  doubt  - 
less  making  an  estimate  of  how  much  it 
would  be  prudent  to  advance  on  these  arti- 
cles in  case  I  desired  to  put  them  "up  the 
spout." 

Fish  in  China  are  always  sold  alive,  and 
are  kept  in  large  tanks  of  running  water, 
from  which  the  seller  catches  with  a  dip-net 
the  one  selected  by  the  customer.  The  gold 
beaters'  shops,  lacquered  and  glassware  fac- 
tories, streets  filled  with  carvers  in  ivory 
and  sandal  wood,  fan-makers,  jadestone 
shops,  a  blue  stone  like  turquoise,  of  which 
most  of  the  ornaments  worn  by  Chinese 
women  are  made.  These  and  many  other 
similar  places  occupied  the  first  day.  1 
must  not  omit  to  mention  the  "curiosity 
shops,"  filled  with  odds  and  ends  ef  every 
description,  among  which  were  a  broken 
ivory-handled  knife,  and  a  pair  of  spectacles 
of  European  manufacture.  Looking  about 
I  noticed  a  small  bottle  that  had  a  familiar 
look,  and  upon  examination  I  found  it  bore 
the  label,  "Mrs.  Winslow's  Soothing  Syrup," 
with  an  uncancelled  United  States  revenue 


119 

stamp.  How  it  found  its  way  hero  to  th« 
interior  of  the  Celestial  Empire  is  to  me  a 
mystery. 

The  next  day  was  devoted  to  temples, 
pagodas  and  public  buildings,  only  •»  few  of 
which  1  have  space  to  mention.  The  ''Tem- 
ple of  the  500  Genii,"  where  that  number  of 
hideous  wooden  idols  are  ranged  around  the 
interior  of  a  large  building,  looking  like  a 
lot  of  tobacconists  signs,  once  gay  with 
paint  and  gilding,  but  now  dusty  and 
dilapidated.  The  Temple  of  Confucius— 
where  there  is  a  colossal  statue  of 
that  old  sage.  The  roof  and  decorations  of 
this  temple  are  painted  green— to  him  the 
sacred  color.  "We  entered  the  court-yard 
by  a  side  door,  and  my  guide  pointed  out 
the  front  gate,  and  just  inside  the  incloeure 
a  small  bridge,  over  which,  he  said,  no  one 
had  ever  passed  but  the  Emperor.  Desir- 
ing what  Margaret  Fuller  calls  "a  univer- 
sal experience,"  I  told  Orr-Kum  to  engage 
the  attention  of  the  attending  priest,  while 
I  quietly  slipped  round  and  passed  over  the 
bridge  hitherto  sfcred  to  the  foot  of  the 
Chinese  "Son  of  Heaven." 

In  the  "Temple  of  Longevity"  was  a  fat 
and  jolly  looking  old  idol,  with  six  hands. 
He  was  reclining  on  his  side,  with  mouth 
wide  open,  apparently  erjoying  a  hearty 
laugh.  This  is  consistent  with  the  idea 
that  length  of  days  is  promoted  by  good 
humor.  As  I  lit  my  cigar  from  a  joss-stick 
burning  in  front  of  this  "jolly  old  cove," 
the  attendant  stared  at  me  with  astonish- 
ment, but  the  usual  doceur  of  a  small  piece 
of  silver  reconciled  him  to  my  seeming  ir- 
reverence. 

The  "Flower  Pagoda"  was  the  most 
charming  of  all  the  sights  in  Canton.  No 
hideous  idols  here,  but  beautiful  flowers  of 
every  hue  render  it  fit  placa  of  worship  for 
Christian  or  heathen. 

The  execution  ground  is  a  small  court 
surrounded  by  high  walls.  Here  75,000 
rebels  were  executed  in  a  6ingle  year  dur- 
ing the  Taeping  rebellion. 

We  visited  the  Examination  Halls  at  the 
southeast  angle  of  the  city  wall.  This  is 
used  ones  every  three  years  at  the  competi- 
tive examinations.  Here,  ranged  in  long 
rows,  are  14,000  celis,  each  3£  by  6  feet, 
where  the  candidates  are  isolated  during 
the  examination,  being  allowed  only  writ- 
ing material  to  compose  their  theses.  Oaly 
five  months  ago  all  these  cells  were  occu- 
pied. 

It  was  quite  dark  before  we  finished  cur 


120 

last  da> 'a  sight-seeing  in  Canton.  The 
shops  were  all  shut,  and  such  a  thieg  as  a 
street  lamp  is  unknown  in  China,  Oar 
coolies  groped  their  way  through  the  dark 
streets,  compelling  the  porters  to  open 
some  of  the  heavily  barred  wooden  gates, 
which  are  closed  at  night  to  cut  cff  com- 
munication between  the  different  wards. 
When  at  last  I  reached  my  hospitable  quar- 
ters at  "Ciarmine,"  I  felt  that  I  had  left 
beh'nd  the  dark,  hideous  barbarism  ot  the 
East,  and,  almost  by  enchantment,  had 
reached  the  bright  and  cheei  ful  civilization 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  W.  P.  F. 


^\4m 


NUMBER  EIGHTEEN. 


Steamer  Life  in  the  Tropics  -  Arrival 
at  Singapore— A  Boat  Ride  by  Moon- 
light— Chinese  Festival— An  Enplith 
Toddy  Shop— Population  and  Climate 
of  Singapore— Character  of  the  Ma- 
lays—The Creese-Running  a  Muck- 
Nature  so  Lavish  tbat  Mankind  De- 
generates—Picturefque  Costumes— The 
Gharry  and  its  Driver— A  Morning 
Ride— The  Asiatic  Gardens— Fan 
Palms  —  Victoria  Regias  —  Tropical 
Vegetation— A  Chinese  Millionaire— 
A  Courteous  Gentleman— The  Wham- 
poa  Garden. 

Singapore,  February  5, 1871. 
After  six  days  of  steamer  life  in  the 
tropic\  with  all  its  Btiflng  annoyances 
below  deck,  and  a  vertical  sun  tempered 
only  by  an  awning  above,  at  noon  to  day 
we  enter  the  straits  of  Malacca,  1,400  miles 
from  Hong  Kong,  and  steam  past  a  light 
house,  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  built  upon 
a  dangerous  rock  in  the  center  of  this  great 
highway  of  commerce  from  Europe  to 
China.  We  hope  to  reach  Singapore  befoie 
dark,  and  the  engineer  crowdi  on  steam 
and  every  stitch  of  canvass  is  spread  to  the 
fair  wind.  We  passe  ogers  are  anxious  to 
spend  the  night  on  shore,  for  our  cupply  of 
ice  haa  been  exhausted  for  two  days,  and 
we  lone  for  an  iced-lemonade  and  a  taste  of 
the  delicious  pine  apples,  bananas  and  other 
fruit  for  which  Singapore  is  famous. 

It  is  eight  o'clock  before  we  drop  anchor 
within  the  ere f  cent-  shaped  harbor,  and  see 
the  lights  of  the  city  spread  out  before  us 
three  miles  away.  But  it  is  too  late  and  we 
are  too  far  off  for  the  sampans,  or  shore 
boats  to  reach  us  before  morning.  So  we 
resign  ourselves  to  the  inevitable,  though 
we  dread  the  ni6ht  before  us,  which  will 
be  doubly  hot  now  that  tb.3  steamer  is  at 
anchor.  But  the  captain,  pitying  our  dis- 
appointment, orders  the  gig  to  be  cleared 
away,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  are  speeding 
along  over  the  moonlit  water  as  fast  as  four 
stout  sailors  can  propel  our  light  craft.  The 


122 

phosphorescence  in  these  Eastern  seas  is 
brighter  than  I  have  ever  seen  elsewhere. 
The  water  sparkles  with  gems  at  every  dip 
oitheo&rs,  and  our  boat  leaves  a  train  of 
snow  glistening  with  jewels  in  its  wske. 
The  soft  air  wafted  frGm  the  shore  is  laden 
with  incense,  for  we  are  now  among  the 
spiee  islands  of  the  trepic?,  and  almost  un- 
der the  equator. 

"We  wind  among  tee  shipping  at  anchor, 
steamers  and  sail  vessels  from  almost  every 
pirt  ol  Europe,  iunks  from  China  and  curi- 
cu3  craft  from  India.    Now  we  pass  a  levia- 
than   steamer  laden  with  the  cable  which 
is  to  connect  Singapore  with  Hong  Kong, 
and  see  upon  her  deck  and  over  her  stern 
the  wheels  and  complicated  machinery  for 
paying  out  the  wire  thread  which  will  soon 
put  China  in  instant  communication  with 
London  and  New  York.    In  a  few  minutes 
more  we    are   landed  at   the   stone  jstty, 
from   which  a   short   walk   bri»s:3   us   in 
front  of  the  large  inciosure  et    the   Hotel 
D'Europc.    It  is  bright  with  lights  stream- 
ing through  the  open  window?,  across  the 
broad  piszz  \s  of  several  detached    buildings 
in    a    large    garden    filled    with    tropical 
shrubbery.    Th^re  is  no  glass  in  the  win- 
dows, for  in  this  hot  climate  the  air  must 
circulate  freely  everywhere,  obstructed  only 
by  Venetian  blinds.    We  register  our  names, 
are  assigned  large  airy  rooms,  and  stroll  cut 
to  see  the  place  by  gas  and  moonlight.    But 
one  of  our  party  had  ever  been  here  before, 
and    accepting  his  guidance  we   cross   the 
river  by  an   elegant  iron   bridge    toward 
the   commercial    part   of  the   ci  y,  where 
from  the   music  and  many  flashing  lights 
we  think  some    celebration  is   going   on. 
Passing  through   several  quiet  streets,  we 
turn  a  corner  and  suddenly  come  upon  a 
broad  square  crowded  with  people,  all  Chi- 
nese.   Firecrackers  are  popping  all  around, 
and  the  venders  of  fruits  and  eatable?,  with 
Aiming  light?,  make  the  place  bright  as  Gay. 
At  the  further  end  of  the  street,  in  a  booth 
erected  for  tha  purpose,  is  a  Chinese  theatre 
in  full  operation.    Iz  is  covered  with  gay 
fligs  and  bright  colored  lanterns,  and  we 
quietly  edge  our  way  towards  tke  stage  and 
watch  the  curious  pantomime  and  fantastic 
performances    of  the    Chinese   drama.    If 
there  is  any  dialogue  it  is  drowned  in  the 
incesiant  rattling  of  bamboo  sticks,  beating 
on  torn  toms,  varied   with    an    occasional 
boom  of  heavy  gones.    Ic  is  evidently  some 
Chinese  festival  and  we  have  arrived  just  in 
time  for  the  celebration. 


123 

Sjon  weary  of  the  din  and  glare,  we  pass 
on  and  cross  another  fine  bridge  in  the  di- 
rection of  our  hotel.  Stopping  at  a  native 
shop  to  er quire  the  way  and  we  learn  that 
the  Hotel  d'Europeis  known  totheMaylays 
uader  the  significant  name  of  the  "English 
Toddy  S'aop."  For  more  than  three  months 
I  had  been  beyond  the  rsnge  of  telegraphs, 
cu^  here  once  more  we  seem  to  touch  civili- 
zition,  and  tie  evening  paper  upon  the 
hotel  tab'e,  gives  us  the  war  news  from 
Pari?  of  yesterday. 

Singapore,  or  the  "town  of  lions"  as  the 
vrord  signifies,  is  situated  on  an  island  twen- 
ty-five miles  long  by  about  fi'teen  broad,  at 
the  lower  extremity  of  the  peninsula  of  Ma- 
laces,  which  extends  southward  one  thou- 
sand miles  below  the  Continent  of  Asia.    It 
is  a  British  colony  and  a  free  port,  and  wa9 
ceded  to  the  English  by  the  Rsjah  of  Ja- 
bore,  a  native  prince  who  lives  in  great  bar- 
fa  iric   splendor    on    the  main  land   about 
:wenty  miles  from  the  city,  and  is  the  ruler 
of  a  large  portion  of  the  Malayan  peninsula. 
He  receives  frcm  the  British  government 
a  heavy  annual  payment  in  consideration  of 
the  cession  of  this  island  and  is  nominally 
at  least,  an  independent  prince-     But  if  he 
should  quarrel  with  the  Governor  of  Singa- 
p3re  a  tew  gunboats  and  a  regiment  or  two 
Oi  red-coats  wculd  squelch  his  sovereignty 
as  they  have  already  done  with  the  many 
native  princ39  of  India.    The  Malays  ar.  all 
Mohammedans  and  as  a  race  have  no  envia- 
ble reputation  among  Eastern  nations.  They 
are      ef      light      copper       color,      with 
h'gh   and    very   prominent    cheek  bones, 
and     a     larger     and      better      developed 
physique     than      the      Chinese.        They 
cm   be    firm   friends    or    malignant   ene- 
mies, and  in  the  latter  case  are  most  treach- 
erous and  ejuel.    There  national  weapon  is 
the  creese,  of  which  I  secured  a  specimen  in 
a  native  shop.    Ic  is  a  wicked  looking  dag- 
ger, about  eighteen  inches  long,  with  a  ser- 
pentine blsde,  keen  and  glittering,  in  shape 
like    the   deadly  cobra,    and,   like  it,  the 
point   is    charged  with  a  fatal  poison  for 
which  there  is  no  antidote.    The  sheath  is 
of  hsrd  wood,  the  handle  carved  and  orna- 
mented   with  gold  and  silver.    In  the  in- 
terior   every   Malay    carries    this    deadly 
weapon  in  his  belt,  but  in  the  territory  con- 
trolled by  the  English  no  one  is  permitted 
to    *ear     it.      Bitter     meet     the    cobra 
or   the   tiger    in    the   thicknesses  of   the 
jungle  than  an  enraged  Malay  armed  with 
thi3  savage  weapon.    In  this  country  the 


124 

term  "running  a  muck"  had  its  origin,  and 
it  is  not  an  unusual  occurrence.  After  a 
native  has  gambled  away  his  money,  wife 
and  children,  and  his  own  life  been  staked 
and  lest,  instead  of  blowing  out  his  brains 
like  a  sensible  Christian,  he  diaws  his 
creese  and  dashes  through  the  village,  cry* 
ing  "A-mok!  Amokl"  striking  at  every- 
one be  meets.  The  whole  population  turns 
out  in  pursuit,  and  hunts  him  down  like  a 
wild  beast  through  thicket  and  jungle,  a 
large  reward  being  given  to  whoever  slays 
the  desperado. 

The  language  of  the  Maylays  is  the  Ital- 
ian of  the  East,  full  of  soft,  liquid  souads, 
very  musical  and  sweet  and  easy  to  be 
karned  by  a  foreigner. 

Notwithstanding  the  cruel  and  blood- 
thirsty character  of  the  men,  the  women 
are  said  to  be  kind  and  gentle.  They  have 
Boft,  lustrous  eyes,  with  drooping  lashes, 
and  mild,  pleasing  countenances,  indicative 
of  a  ffactionate  dispositions.  They  are  neat 
and  tasty  in  dress,  and  in  deportment  are 
modest  and  unassumirg.  Such  a  contrast 
between  the  sexes  seems  an  anomaly.  In 
lidirg  outside  the  city  I  have  frequently 
met  the  native  women  wearing  a  curious 
head  gear  made  of  bamboo,  two  feet  or 
more  in  diameter,  and  stoped  like  a  cheese. 
It  is  very  light,  and  a  perfect  protection 
from  the  sun. 

The  population  of  Singapore  is  about  120,- 
800,  of  whom  more  than  half  are  Chinese. 
Their  energy  and  enterprise  is  more  than  a 
match  for  the  native  Malays  and  they  con- 
trol the  business  of  the  place.  Every 
steamer  and  j  nk  brings  a  crowd  of  these 
emigrants  from  the  Chinese  ports,  and  in 
a  few  years  by  industry  and  economy  they 
accumulate  what  is  to  them  a  fortune,  and 
return  to  China,  rich  men.  The  climate 
here  is  said  to  be  the  most  agreeable  in  the 
world,  and  is  a  perpetual  summer.  Though 
but  seventy  miles  north  of  the  equator  the 
mercury  rarely  rises  above  ninety  degrees, 
with  a  variation  of  only  about  ten  degrees 
between  summer  and  winter.  No  long 
summer  days  nor  long  winter  nights,  for 
the  sun  rises  all  the  year  round  within  a 
few  minutes  of  six  o'clock.  The  abundance 
and  variety  of  fruits  is  unsurpassed  in  the 
world,  and  nature  seems  to  have  bestowed 
her  choicest  gifts  with  a  lavish  hand.  The 
typhoon  of  the  Chinese  seas  and  the  cy- 
clones of  the  Indian  ocean  are  alike  un- 
known. 


125 

But  there  is  another  Bide  of  the  picture. 
The  woods  swarm  with  venomous  reptiles 
and  poisonous  plants.  In  the  jungles  the 
tiger  lies  in  wait  for  his  prey,  and  the  Da- 
tive inhabitants,  not  unlike  him  in  disposi- 
tion, have  not  advanced  a  step  in  civiliza- 
tion, nor  changed  the  face  of  nature  by  cul- 
tivating the  soil.  The  waters  around  abound 
in  fish,  the  woods  with  fruit.  The  bamboo 
and  the  palm  furnish  them  with  shelter  and 
the  little  clothing  they  care  to  wear.  The 
European  degenerates,  morally  and  phys > 
cally,  by  residence  in  this  too  favored  clime. 
He  comes  here  to  make  money,  and  this  he 
is  bound  to  do,  regardless  of  the  rights  of 
the  miserable  and  de  graded  native  papula- 
tion. But  he  pays  the  penalty  in  the  loss 
of  health  and  stamina,  in  a  diseased  liver, 
and  blood  thinned  by  a  tropical  eun.  Ten 
years'  residence  here  counts  for  fifteen  or 
twenty  in  the  length  of  a  m^n's  life  in  the 
Temperate  Zane.  Such  is  the  inexorable 
law  of  compensation. 

In  the  streets  and  shop3  we  see  every 
shade  of  color  and  every  caste  of  racf . 
Scarcely  five  per  cent  of  the  inhabitants  are 
European.  But  Java  and  Ceylon,  Hindos- 
tan  and  Burmah,  and  every  island  of  tho 
East  Indian  Achipelago  has  here  its  repre- 
sentatives. Turbans  of  every  color,  and 
costumes  aB  varied  and  bright  as  the  flow- 
ers that  everywhere  blossom  in  the  gardens 
and  woods,  with  red  and  scarlet  intermin- 
gled with  white,  and  set  cff  by  the  foil  ct 
their  dark  skins  give  a  picturesqueness  to 
the  looks  of  the  people  quite  in  contrast 
with  the  sombre  hue  of  the  costumes  uni- 
versally worn  in  Japan  and  China. 

In  this  climate,  to  Europeans  as  well  as 
natives,  a  bath  Is  the  first  duty  of  the  morn- 
ing, and  every  hotel  and  steamer  has  bath 
rooms  free  to  the  guests.  Before  the  sun  is 
up  we  take  a  gharry  to  ride  out  to  the  gar- 
dens of  the  Asiatic  Society,  about  three 
miles  from  the  city.  Oar  gharry  is  so  pecu- 
liar a  vehicle  that  it  deserves  a  description. 
It  is  a  square,  black  van  mounted  on  four 
wheels,  with  two  seats,  and  moveable  slats 
for  windows— a  rattling,  j  siting  concern  in 
which  every  bolt  and  nut  seems  loose,  and 
ready,  on  the  slightest  provocation  to  col- 
lapse into  "everlasting  smash. "  It  is  drawn 
by  a  single  horse,  small  as  a  Shetland  pony, 
with  harness  enough  for  a  load  in  itself. 
The  driver  is  a  dark  skinned  Malay,  with 
glittering  black  eyes,  wearing  a  bright  red 
turban,  which  is  his  principal  article  of 
attire,  for  besides  that  he  wears  only  a  nar 


126 

row  strip  of  cloth  about  his  loins,  and  dang- 
ling around  his  neck  a  me*al  badge  with  the 
number  of  his  vehicle,  (310)  Having  se- 
cured his  "fare"  inside,  he  runs  alongside 
the  pony,  plying  hi3  lash  and  screaming, 
until  the  animal  is  excited  into  a  sharp  trot. 
Then  he  jamps  on  to  the  shafts  behind  him. 

We  set  cff  at  a  rattling  pace  through  the 
European  quarter,  past  two  pretty 
churches  and  many  foreign  residences  sur- 
rounded by  fine  gardens,  thence  through  the 
outskirts  of  the  city  thickly  populated  by 
natives,  and  soon  reach  an  avenue  lined 
with  palm  tree?,  where  we  meet  the  market 
people  leaded  with  vegetables  and  fruit. 
They  are  mostly  Chinese,  and  baskets  which 
they  carry  on  their  heads  or  swung  on  bam- 
boo poles,  are  filled  with  curious  fruit-, 
many  of  which  we  have  never  tssted  nor 
even  heard  the  names.  A  half  hour  r:?e 
over  this  smooth  road,  past  laces  shaded 
with  cocoanut  trees  acd  lined  with  hedg;s 
of  light  green  bamboo,  leading  to  the  bung- 
alows of  Europeans  which  we  see  on  every 
elevation,  and  wo  reach  the  cntmnce  to  a 
park  of  several  hundred  acres,  laid  out  with 
winding  carriage  roads  and  smooth  graveled 
walks  in  tha  highest  style  of  English  land- 
scape gardening.  Clumps  cf  tropical  trees 
and  shrubs,  and  parterres  of  gorgeous  flow- 
ers are  everywhere  around  us.  Ttie  rare 
flowering  plants  which  I  had  only  seen  in 
green-house s,  are  here  growing  to  immense 
size  in  the  open  air.  Oyer  our  heat's  are 
stately  palms,  wild  almonds,  and  tall  feath- 
ery bamboos. 

But  the  most  curious  tree  which  I  have 
never  ceased  to  admire,  is  the  fan-palm, 
each  leaf  six  or  eight  leet  long  and  radia- 
ting from  the  stem  like  the  sticks  of  a  fan. 
Imagine  a  fan  for  a  giant,  the  hatdle  ten 
feet  long  and  six  inches  thick,  the  Ian  itself 
fifteen  feet  in  diameter.  la  a  small  pond 
an  immsnse  victoria  rtg'xap,  with  leaves  two 
feet  across  which  will  bear  the  weight  of  a 
child.  Mingled  with  the  grass  beside  the 
path  are  large  masses  of  the  sensitive  plant. 
Orchirds  in  endless  variety  are  hang 
ing  in  rustic  baskets  under  the  trees. 
Wild  heliotrope,  masses  of  English 
roses  and  most  beautiful  ferns  are  arranged 
so  as  to  give  an  artistic  effect  to  the  scene. 
Every  plant  and  fljwer  which  I  recognize 
seems  magnified  in  s:'z?  and  intensified  in 
color  under  this  tropical  sun.  Run  rarely 
falls  at  this  season,  but  the  grass  smoothly 
shorn,  sparkles  with  dew  drops  in  the  early 
morning  sun. 


127 

Afte*  an  hour  ppeiit  Here  which  was 
crowded  with  views  of  the  brilliant  color- 
ing and  luxuriant  vegetation  only  to  be 
seen  near  the  Equator,  we  return  to  break 
fast,  o!  wh  ch  pine-apples,  bananas,  mansro- 
sfeens  and  orargs^  formed  the  most  agreea- 
ble pirt.  This  fruit  was  taken  fre*fa  from 
the  trees  surrounding  the  hotel,  and  I  need 
not  say  that  the  H  ivor  was  delicious. 

One  of  the  sights  of  Singapore  i3  Wham 
poah's  Gardens.  Mr.  Whampoah  (it  seems 
strange  to  put  this  prefix  to  the  name  of  a 
Chinaman)  is  a  millionaire  Chinese  mer- 
chant, at  whose  offica  I  called  with  a  letter 
of  ntroduction  from  our  Consul.  His  count- 
ing-houee  is  fitted  up  in  first  class  European 
style,  and  he  received  me  with  the  most 
flittering  politeness.  He  is  a  man  about 
fifty  years  old.  in  looks  and  drees  as  much  a 
Chinamau  as  if  in  his  native  Canton.  He 
told  me  that  he  had  been  a  resident  here  for 
nearly  forty  years,  and  although  he  has  sev- 
eral times  returned  to  China  on  business,  he 
is  contented  to  live  and  end  his  days  in  Sin- 
gapore. He  speaks  English  perfectly,  and  his 
table  is  covered  with  corresponded 3  in  that 
and  other  European  languages.  Among  hi* 
clerks  and  bookeepers  I  notice  a  Bengalese 
and  a  Parsee,  and  several  others  whose 
dress  and  complexion  indicate  either  Portu- 
guese or  mixed  European  and  Asiatic  blood. 
He  is  evidently  gratified  at  my  desire  to  see 
his  famous  gardens,  and  expresses  a  regret 
that  he  cannot  be  at  h^me  to  do  the  honors. 
As  ha  writes  an  order,  or  "chap,"  in 
Chinese,  to  his  head  servant  to  show  me  his 
place,  I  notice  upon  his  fingers  two  most 
brilliant  sapphire  rings.  Ha  insisted  upon 
sending  his  clerk  to  procure  for  me  some 
Siamese  coins  of  which  I  desired  specimen?, 
and  I  left  his  office  with  the  impression  that 
he  is  the  most  courteous  and  thorough  bred 
gentleman  I  have  thus  far  met  in  the  east. 
It  is  an  illustration  of  what  a  Chinaman  is 
capable  of,  that  Wampoa  commenced  his 
career  as  a  ship's  compardop,  or  steward, 
and  by  his  energy  and  schrewdness  has  ac- 
quired great  wealth  and  an  enviable  posi- 
tion for  honor  and  probity  among  the 
highest  merchants  here. 

Wo  found  his  house  and  grounds  most 
curious  and  interesting.  Here  everything 
is  thoroughly  Chinese  in  style,  and  in 
strong  contrast  with  the  Asiatic  gardens 
visited  yesterday.  Miniature  tea-houses, 
fanciful  arbors,  canals  spanned  by  rustic 
bridges.  Little  ponds  stocked  with  gold 
fish,  gardens  within  gardens,  curious  irni 


128 

tations  of  grotefque  animals  formed  by 
plants  trained  on  wire  frames,  and  such  an 
endless  viriety  of  shrubs,  plantB  and  vines, 
all  kept  in  the  most  perfect  order,  as  wool  1 
fill  with  deliarht  the  heart  of  our  esteeme  i 
Iriend,  the  venerable  Professor,  whose 
place  we  pass  on  our  way  to  Rocky  River. 
Thanks  to  my  "  chop  "  the  attendant 
showed  us  the  moU  assiduous  attentions, 
and,  to  my  surprise  respectfully  declined 
'■cunsshan"  which  I  offered  them  at  part- 
ing—an instance  of  self-denial  alike  rare  in 
Christian  or  heathen  lands.         W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  NINETEEN. 

Up  the  Straits  of  Malacca-Penang, 
and  the  Province  of  Wellesley— Malay 
Pirate*— * 'Old  John  Brown"— The 
Penan  s:  Lawyer— Mount  Pleasant— 
Pare  Laziness— The  "Marvel  of  Trop- 
ical Beauty"— A  Granite  Bath  Tub 
and  Natural  Shower  Bath— Loyal 
Britons  Abroad— Royal  Scapegraces 
—The  Dorian— Difference  ef  Opin- 
ion—A Wagrr-John  Bull  Against 
Jonathan— An  Exciting  National 
Contest— Yankee  Comes  Off  Victor- 
ious—The  Andaman  Isles— "Life  on 
the  Ocean  Wave"— Not  All  Pure  Ro- 
mance* 

On  Board  Stkamer  ''Thales,"  ? 
Indian  Ocean,  Feb'y  10, 1811  3 
After  a  sail  of  360  miles  up  the  Straits  of 
Malacca,  winding  among  islands  covered 
from  watei'a  edge  to  summit  with  tropical 
foliage,  where  the  air  is  fragrant  with 
spicy  odors,  and  the  jingles  swarm  with 
venomous  serpents  and  man  eating  tigers, 
with  Sumatra  on  our  left,  and  Java  behind 
up,  early  this  morning  our  steamer,  the 
"Thales"  dropped  archor  in  front  of  the 
town  of  Penang.  This  is  another  English 
possession  like  Singapore,  and  with  the 
neighboring  islands  is  known  as  the  ^Prov- 
ince of  Wellesley."  It  has  a  population  of 
125,000,  one  third  of  whom  are  Chinese  em- 
igrants, the  balanca  native  Malays  and  Asi- 
atics of  various  races,  with  only  a  few  hun- 
dred Europeans,  who  by  virtue  of  forts  and 
gunboats,  rule  these  vast  hordes  of  natives 
in  perfect  security.  The  whole  commerce 
by  steam  and  sail  vessels  between  western 
nations  and  China  passes  through  the  Straits 
of  Malacca,  of  wnich  Singapore  guards  the 
southern  and  Penang  the  northern  entrance, 
S3  that  the  positions  of  these  two  depend- 
encies of  Great  Britain  are  of  great  commei  - 
cial  importance.  Penang  is  the  limit  of 
Chinese  emigration  in  this  direction,  for  to 
the  westward  stretches  the  broad  expanse 
of  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  1,200  miles  across 
which  is  India.  Several  very  large  Chinese 
junks  are   anchored  near   ue  which  have 


130 


oa*ted  down  all  the  way  from  Tiea-tsin, 
2  500  miles  irom  here,  and  within  a  single 
daj'i  journey  of  the  capital  of  Chins. 
They  make  but  one  round  trip  a 
year,  coming  down  with  the  favoring 
monsocn  during  the  winter  months,  and 
returning  the  following  summer,  when  tae 
winds  blow  steadily  from  the  South.  For 
these  huge,  unwieldy  craft  to  beat  up 
agaiust  a  head  wind  would  be  quite  impos- 
siole.  Oa  the  one  nearest  I  count  twelve 
large  old  fashioned  iron  cannon,  which  I 
tuspec;  are  more  for  show  than  service 
against  the  piratical  Malays,  who  despite  all 
the  watchfulness  of  the  English  cruisers, 
will  occasionally  gcoop  up  a  Junk,  rob  and 
murder  all  on  board,  then  sink  the  vessel 
and  dodge  back  into  some  iolet  or  sheltered 
cove  along  the  coast.  These  pirates  now 
rarely  attack  European  craft,  but  lie  in 
wait  fer  the  more  defenceless  Chinese, 
against  whom  they  nourish  a  most  bitter 
hatred.  Oi  our  steamers  the  sailors  are 
Malays,  and  the  cabin  servatts  and  firemen 
Chinese.  The  traditional  ill-will  between 
the  two  races  sometimes  breaks  out  in  a 
tight  in  which  knives  are  freely  used.  But 
the  control  of  the  English  officers,  backed 
by  their  revolverp,  is  supreme  over  ill 
these  semi-savages. 

Not  two  month3  ago  there  came  floating 
with  the  tide  into  the  harbor  of  Penang 
thirty  Chinamen  all  creesed  by  Malay  pi- 
rates. An  E  aglish  gunboat  started  at  once 
in  pursuit,  overtook  the  pirates  before  they 
could  reach  the  shelter  of  the  coast,  and  sent 
their  craft  with  all  on  board  to  the  bottom. 
Amorg  the  fligs  of  every  nation  I  notice 
over  one  large  ship  the  "Stars  and  Stripes"— 
the  handsomest  fl  ig  in  the  world.  In  going 
ashore  we  pass  close  under  her  stern  and  I 
read  the  name  "Columbia  of  New  York." 
The  sailorsare  hoisting  in  packages  of  nut- 
megs, pimento  aud  other  tpices,  and  I  catch 
a  few  notes  ot  an  air  that  sound*  like  "Old 
John  Brown."  My  companions  in  the 
boat  are  all  Englishmen,  and  cannot 
understand  the  memories  suggested  by 
the  inspiring  refrain,  "  Glory,  Glory,  . 
Hillelujih."  I  want  to  go  on  aherc  and 
shake  hands  with  a  genuine  Yankee  who 
believes  that  "  his  soul  is  marching  on." 

We  land  at  the  government  pier  and  are 
beset  by  venders  of  fruit  and  rough  sticks 
to  be  made  into  canes.  There  are  two  kinds, 
both  a  specialty  here,  tho  "M»lac  ca  joints," 
very  light  and  ttugh  from  which  all  our 
expensive  canes  ar.d  wtrp  stalks  are  made, 


131 

and  a  heavy  ironlike  sprout,  with  a  solid, 
knobby  head,  called  a  "Penang  Lawyer." 
The  origin  of  this  name  1  could  not  ascer- 
tain, but  when  polished  into  a  cine  1  can 
imagine  that  it  would  furnish  "knock- 
down arguments"  on  a  dry,  knotty  point  of 
law  to  any  belligerent  member  of  the  legal 
profession. 

The  stree's  are  wide,  and  near  the  harbor 
are  large  warehouses  filled  with  pepper, 
nutmegs  and  other  spices,  of  which  Pe- 
nang is  one  of  the  greatest  shipping  ports  in 
the  world.  After  a  look  at  the  fort  and 
public  buildings,  all  of  which  are  most  sub- 
stantially built  and  guarded  by  dark  skinned 
native  soldiers  in  red  coats,  we  take  a 
gharry  and  drive  a  few  miles  into  'the 
country  to  a  famous  waterfall  at  the  foot 
of  u  Mount  Pleasant."  which  rises  abruptly 
from  the  plain  two  thousand  feet  and  com- 
mands a  splendid  view  of  the  harbor  and 
the  shipping.  The  roads  are  smooth  and 
shaded  by  cocoanut,  nutmeg  and  bread-fruit 
trees.  Bananas  and  plantains  stretch  their 
long  leaves  over  hedges  of  bamboo,  and  the 
bungalows  of  Europeans  seem  almost  buried 
ia  the  luxuriant  vegetation.  The  houtes  of 
the  Malayans  are  all  built  on  posts,  thus  in- 
suring dryness  during  the  rainy  season,  al- 
io wing  a  free  circulation  of  air,  and  keep- 
ing out  snakes  and  other  vermin. 
The  entrance  is  by  a  ladder,  and  on 
this  the  mistress  of  the  house  is  usually 
lounging,  with  half  a  dozen  or  more  naked 
urchins  playing  around,  white  the  father 
lies  asleep  in  the  shade  of  his  domicile. 
Nobody  is  at  work,  and  nature,  in  the  pro- 
luseness  of  her  gifts,  seems  here  to  have  re- 
lieved  man  from  the  iio junction  to  earn  his 
bread  by  the  sweat  of  his  face. 

At  the  end  of  our  drive  we  came  to  the 
Alexandra  Hotel  and  Bathing  Efstablish- 
lishment,  kept  by  an  Englishman,  whose 
circular  inviting  us  to  visit  his  place  which 
is  described  as  "a  marvel  of  beauty,  em- 
bowered in  mosses  and  flowering  plants, 
where  the  murmuriDg  fbw  of  crystal 
streams  delight  the  ear  and  intoxicate  the 
senses,"  was  put  in  our  hands  on  landing 
from  the  steamer.  We  find  the  waterfall 
and  bath?,  and  the  Bungalow  or  Hotel,  sur- 
rounded by  shade  trees  and  covered  by  the 
blossoms  of  bright  tropical  flowers,  quite 
up  to  the  high  flown  description.  A  pretty 
mountain  stream  comes  tumbling  down 
the  ravine,  dashing  in  spray  from  rock 
to  rock,  and  conducted  through  a  series 
of  bath-rooms  cut  in  the  solid  rock.    The 


132 

water  is  very  pure,  and  the  luxury  of  a 
swim  in  a  bath-tub  of  granite,  sixty  by 
thirty,  shaded  from  the  sun  by  a  light  bam- 
boo roof,  where  a  natural  waterfall  furnishes 
the  shower-bath,  can  only  be  appreciated 
in  this  hot  tropical  climate.  But  the  hotel 
attached,  where  we  ordered  a  tiffia  after 
our  bath,  is  more  pretentious  than  deserv- 
icg.  Tt  claims,  after  the  style  of  the  loyal 
Briton,  to  be  "under  the  patronage  of  H. 
R.  H.  the  Princess  of  Wales,  the  Governor 
of  the  Province,"  and  a  long  list  of  other 
local  dignitaries.  In  the  public  room  the 
walls  are  decorated  with  engravings  repre- 
senting the  "heir  apparent"  in  the  midst  of 
a  happy  domestic  circle,  a  picture  of  home 
felicity  so  notoriously  belied  by  the  facts 
as  to  excite  only  pity  for  the  poor 
Princess.  Here  were  also  two  engrav- 
ings of  the  gay  young  Duke  of  Edinburgh, 
whose  escapades  during  his  visit  last  year 
to  Australia  and  India  so  scandalized  his 
good  mother  as  to  lead  to  his  being  sent 
home  to  England.  Though  but  moderately 
loyal  at  home,  the  Britain  becomes  intensely 
so  when  abroad,  and  ruffles  his  feathers  at 
any  allusion  by  a  foreigner  to  the  discredit- 
able acts  of  these  royal  brothers.  But  I  am 
told  that  among  themselves  they  do  not 
hesitate  to  condemn  such  conduct  in  terms 
as  severe  as  a  republican  would  use  in 
speaking  of  rulers  elected  by  his  own  vote. 

Of  all  the  iruits  for  which  Penang  is 
famous,  none  has  given  rise  to  so  much  dis- 
cussion on  our  way  up  the  coast  as  the 
dorian.  One  of  our  passengers,  an  old  resi- 
dent of  India,  is  extravagant  in  its  praise. 
He  says  it  is  very  wholesome  and  nutri- 
tious, that  he  always  eats  at  least  one  before 
breakfast,  and  his  wife  and  children  prefer 
it  to  pine  apples,  oranges  or  bananas.  He 
admits  that  to  a  stranger  it  has  a  slightly 
unpleasant  odor,  but  he  describes  the  taste 
as  resembling  custards  flavored  with  pine 
apple  and  strawberry.  Another  passenger 
tells  quite  a  different  story.  He  says  it  is 
the  vilest  and  most  horrid  smelling  fruit  in 
the  world ;  that  garlic,  fried  onions,  assa- 
foetida,  and  the  seventy  distinct  smells  of 
Cologne  condensed  in  one  cannot  be  com- 
pared with  the  nauseating  stench  of  the 
dorian. 

Such  a  diversity  of  opinion  results  in  a 
wager  between  a  full-blooded,  rosy «cheeked 
young  Englishman,  who  has  lately  "come 
out,"  and  an  American,  as  to  which  shall 
partake  most  freely  of  this  delectable  fruit 
when  we  reach  Penang.   In  our  rides  about 


133 

the  neighborhood  we  have  seen  dorians 
growing  upon  large  trees  and  piled  up  for 
sale  in  the  market.  It  is  oval  in  shape, 
a  third  larger  tnan  the  pineapple,  and 
greenish-yellow  in  color.  We  selected  three 
fine  specimens,  and  sent  them  on  board 
with  our  baskets  of  fruits.  As  they  axe 
brought  on  deck  the  Captain  snirls  the  air 
and  calls  out,  "take  them  i— d  dorians  for- 
ward.'' 

The  next  day  at  eleven  o'clock  is  the  time 
fixed  for  the  trial.  A  majority  of  our  pas- 
sengers are  English,  but  the  few  Americans 
on  board  are  retdy  to  back  their  natioral 
champion.  The  Secretary  of  the  Russian 
Legation  at  Pekin  is  selected  as  umpire,  and 
the  preliminary  arrangements  are  very 
simple.  Oa  the  main  deck,  jast  forward  cf 
the  engines,  is  a  sma  1  table,  on  which  :s 
placed  a  dorian,  a  knife  and  two  teaspoonr. 
Beside  the  table  are  two  caairs  f3r  the  prin- 
cipal  actors.  Tne  conditions  are  that  nei- 
ther champion  shall  have  the  right  of  hold- 
ing his  nose  during  the  contest.  At  tte 
given  hour  the  table  is  surrounded  by  all  the 
passengers  and  most  of  the  cfilcers  of  the 
ship.  The  question  arises  who  shall  cat  the 
dorian?  Umpire  declines  and  the  steward 
volunteers.  The  fruit  is  severed  length- 
wise, disclosing  a  white,  custard-like  pulp, 
rather  inviting  to  the  eye— but,  oh!  the 
smell  is  overpowering.  The  crowd  fail 
back  to  the  rail,  every  man  holding  his 
nose.  At  this  stage  the  chances  seem  in  fa- 
vor of  the  Englishman,  who  is  the  younger 
and  more  vigorous  of  the  two;  but  Yankee 
is  tough,  and  not  wanting  in  nerve,  when  it 
comes  to  a  question  of  national  credit.  Um- 
pire gives  the  word  "charge,"  and  each 
champion  makes  a  dive  with  his  spoon,  and 
swallows  without  blinking  a  mouthlu'  of 
the  custard.  It  is  done  so  quickly  that 
American  can  scarcely  detect  the  flivor, 
which  is  really  not  disagreeable*  Russia 
falls  back  one  pace  and  again  calls  "charge." 
Another  mouthful  is  simultaneously  swal- 
lowed by  the  champions.  At  the  third 
charge,  as  American  coolly  raised  a  spoon- 
ful to  his  mouth,  he  glanced  across  the  ta- 
ble and  saw  the  game  was  up.  Britons' 
cheek  had  lost  its  roses,  his  spoon  dropped 
before  it  reached  his  lips,  and  he  bolted  to 
the  side  of  the  ship— he  had  thrown  up  the 
spoon. 

Umpire's  decision  in  favor  of  "our  Amer- 
ican Cousin"  was  received  with  cheers,  and 
the  waiters  were  summoned  to  throw  over- 
board the  remnant  of  the  dorian,  and  wash 


134 


down   the   table  and    the   deck.     Yankee 
qaietly  withdrew  to  his  stateroom,  removed 
a  wad  of  cotton  from   his  nostrils,  and  re- 
turned on  deck  to  receive  the  congratula- 
tions of  all  parties,  who  fumigated  them- 
selves with   cheroots  and  washed  down  the 
flavor  of  the  dorian  with  several  bottles  of 
champagne  at  the  expense  of  Johnny  Ball. 
We  left  Penang  late  in  the  evening  in  the 
midst  of  a  terrific  squall  of  rain  and  wind. 
The  water  seemed  to  pour  down   in  solid 
sheets.    Half  an  hour  later  it    was  bright 
moonlight,  and  we  steamed  along  the  nar< 
r3w   channel,  winding    among   islets   for 
about  thirty  miles,  when  we  reached  the  en- 
trance to  the  Straits  of  Malacca.     Here  we 
dropped  the  native  pilot  into  his  boat  with- 
out checking  the  speed  of  the  steamer,  and 
casting  off  the  rope  he  was  almost  instantly 
lost  to   sight    astern.     O^r  course  is  now 
northwest  across  the  B*y  of  Bengal  to  Cal- 
cutta.   When  aboat  half  way  we  sight  the 
Andaman  Isles,    lofty,  cone -shaped  moun- 
tains, covered  with  verdure  to  their  very 
summit?,    and    a   conepicious    land     mark 
for  sailore.    Oi    one    cf   these  is'ar.ds  the 
English  government  ha3  established  apensl 
eolory  which  is  visited  only  twico   a  year. 
The   Andaman    group    comprises    several 
large  island?,  some  of  which  are  ssdd  to  be 
inhabited  by  cannibals.    The    suggestion  of 
a  possibility  of  a  shipwreck   in  this  neigh- 
borhood is  not  very  pleasant.    We  pass  the 
days  on  deck,    where,  protected  from  the 
blazing  tun  by  a  double    awning,    we  can 
enioy  the  breeze  caused   by  the  motion  ot 
the  ship.    But  the  monotony  of  a  sea  voy- 
age in  the  Indian  Ocsan  is  very  wearisome. 
Every  day  the  same  bright  sua    and  cleat 
sky.    Books,  conversation  and  cheroots  lose 
their  power  to  while  away  the  listlessness, 
the  absolute  inanity  of  such  a  life.      In  the 
evening  we   lounge  on   deck    with    a  full 
moon  sailing  over   our    heads,    the    water 
smooth  as  glars  and  sparkling  in  the  phos 
phorescent  light.  What  can  be  more  charm 
i eg  than  this  Wife  on  the  ocean  wave.''      I 
lingered  late  on  deck  er.joying  this  lovely 
picture,  which  all  the  elements  have  com- 
bined to  render  perfect,  and  at    last  reluc- 
tantly  went    below.    The  lamp  is    burn- 
ing in  the  main  cabin,  which  is  deserted, 
and  the  air  is  close  and   stifling.      I    enter 
my  state  room  and  strike  a  match.    Horror 
of  horrors  I  at  the  gleam  of  the  light  a  fcore 
of  enormous  cockrotches  scamper  over  the 
floor,  trunks  and  bedclothes.  I  glance  at  the 
narrow  berth  and  the  thought  of  vermin 


135 

worse  than  these,  cf  which  I  had  discovered 
"signs,"  makes  me  shudder.  There  is  a 
most  disagreeable  odor  prevading  the  whole 
ship  below.  Perhaps  it  is  from  the  opium 
with  which  these  ■iivaati  are  freighted  on 
their  return  voyage  from  India  to  China.  I 
call  to  the  steward  for  a  ~lass  of  water.  Ifc  is 
lukewarm,  for  the  ica  is  all  gone,  la  disgust 
I  go  otice  more  on  deck,  light  a  cheroot, 
pace  back  and  forth,  then  lean  over  the  rail 
and  watch  the  glimmer  of  the  moonbeams 
on  the  smooth  sea,  and  calculate  how  many 
more  such  days  and  nights  before  we  can 
reach  Calcutta.  The  illusion  cf  romance 
and  beauty  in  a  ssa«life  is  fast  fading  away. 
R  dining  on  a  settee,  I  am  soon  asleep,  but 
the  cffisar  of  the  deck  taps  me  on  the  shoul- 
der and  very  civilly  says,  "Excuse  me,  sir, 
but  you  ought  not  to  sleep  on  deck ;  it  is 
not  prudent  in  this  climate."  I  grope  my 
way  down  to  the  main  saloon,  draw  a  chair 
to  the.  table,  rest  my  head  on  my  arms,  and 
fall  into  a  fitful,  uneasy,  unrefreshing  sleep. 
£a  my .  dreams  I  find  "John  Whopper V 
hole  through  the  Berth.  I  am  in  the  rink, 
listening  to  the  music  and  watching  the  gay 
crowd  of  skaters.  Then  I  hear  the  jingle  of 
the  sleigh  bells  and  the  crunching  of  the 
snow  beneath  the  runners  as  they  fly  along 
the  avenue.  Anon  and  it  is  the  splash  cf 
water  clear  as  crystal  and  cdo!  as  melted 
icicles.  I  awake  with  a  start,  and  I  find  it 
is  daylight.  The  noise  I  hear  is  the  sailors 
washing  down  the  decks. 

Sailing  through  tropical  seas  is  not  pure 
delight— by  no  manner  of  means. 

W.  P.  F. 


jrtj 


NUMBER  TWENTY. 

Approach  to  India— The  Hooghly- 
Garden  Reach— Calcutta— The  King 
of  Oude— The  Landing  -Native  Mag- 
pies and  Blackbirds— The  Great 
Eastern-"Xew  Varmint"- Morning 
Races -A  Gar  Crowd— The  Euras- 
ians—Commerce of  Calcutta— The 
"Black  Hole"— The  East  India  Com- 
pany—Government of  India— The 
Viceroy— A  Perambulating  Govern- 
ment— Palanquins- A  Catastrophe- 
Good-bye  to  "New  Varmint''— India 
Railways— Iron  Replaces  Wood— De- 
lfghts  of  Summer  Travel— Native 
Servants, 

Up  Country,  India,  ) 
February,  1871.  S 
My  first  sight  of  India  was  from  the  deck 
of  our  steamer  as  at  early  dawn  we  entered 
the  Hooghly  River,  whone  strong  current 
and  shifting  sand-bars  render  the  navigation 
extremely  difficult.  The  many  mouths  of 
the  Ganger,  of  which  the  Hooghly  is  one, 
have  formsd  an  aliuvxal  delta  of  several  hun- 
dred square  miles  like  that  of  the  Mississippi, 
which  is  a  wilderness  of  timber  and  brush- 
wood, the  tall  grass  forming  a  jangle  where 
tigers  and  other  beasts  of  prey  have  their 
favorite  haunts.  Advancing  up  the  river 
the  scenery  gradually  improves,  the  coun- 
try seems  more  and  more  cultivated,  the 
shipping  and  bustle  on  the  river  increase, 
and  he  many  beautiful  country  seats  on  its 
banks  indicate  that  we  are  approaching  the 
capital.  At  length  we  enter  "Garden 
Keach"  which  for  two  miles  is  lined  on  both 
tides  with  splendid  Bungalows  of  the 
wealthy  European  and  native  residents 
which  are  shaded  with  palms  and  other 
tropical  vegetation,  and  surrounded  with 
highly  cultivated  grounds.  As  we  approach 
Calcutta,  the  metropolis  of  India,  we  are 
struck  with  the  magnificence  of  thetuild- 
ingg,  public  and  private,  the  forest  of  masts, 
and   the  many    steamers  anchored    in  the 


13< 


stream,  the  numerous  spires  and  vast  extent 
of  the  city  which  baB  a  population  cf  over 
600,000.  It  is  situated  on  a  broad  plain  on  the 
left  bank  and  but  little  raised  above  the  Hoo" 
ghly,  100  miles  from  its  moutb,  and  extends 
nearly  five  miles  along  the  shore.  Above 
"Garden  Ka&cb,"  on  our  right  is  the  resi- 
dence cf  the  ex  Kins  of  Oude.  The  grounds 
have  a  frontage  of  half  a  mile  on  the  river, 
and  include  several  detached  palaces  vast 
in  siz3  and  gaudy  in  decorations.  Amorg 
them  is  a  Mo*  que,  whose  Kilt  dome  sur- 
mounted by  a  crescant  glitters  in  the  sun. 
Here  the  King  keeps  up  a  raaafre  court  upon  vw^v  <wi  t  & 
an  allowance  of  two  lacji  of  rupees,  $100,000, 
a  month  from  the  government.  He  is  said 
to  be  a  profligate  old  scamp,  with  a  hundred 
or  more  wives,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  set 
of  native  princes  and  rs j ahs,  who  are  alto- 
gether a  bad  lot.  Always  notorious  for  de- 
bauchery, he  has  now  btoms  infamous  for 
his  vices.  Although  his  income  is  over  a 
million  dollars  a  year  he  spends  nearly 
double  that  sum,  and  runs  so  recklessly  into 
debt  that  the  government  has  lately  ap- 
pointed a  guardian  to  check  his  extrava- 
gance. 

We  anchor  opposite  the  "old  fort  Qhaut," 
an  Indian  word  signifying  steps,  the  public 
landing,  which  rises  in  a  broad  flight  of 
stone  steps  from  th3  water's  edge  to  the  top 
of  the  bank.  The  deck  is  instantly  swarm- 
ing with  the  native  Bengalese  boatmen  who 
chatter  like  a  lot  of  black -birds.  A  dozen 
or  more  seize  my  baggage,  hurry  it  into  a 
boat  and  in  a  few  minutes  I  am  on  the  soil 
of  India.  As  goon  as  the  boat  touches  the 
jetty  a  dozen  more  of  these  black  fellows, 
tall  and  slender,  whose  long,  lank  arms  and 
Bpindle  legs  make  them  look  like  a  flock  of 
half  starved  crows,  pounce  upon  my  trunks, 
carry  them  up  the  steps  and  pile  them  on  a 
gharry.  It  is  useless  to  contend ,  so  I  quiet- 
ly submit,  and  climb  into  the  carriago  for 
protection.  The  magp'es  eurround  the 
gharry,  each  clamorous  after  pay  for  a  eer- 
vice  which  a  single  Irish  porter  cmld  easily 
have  performed  in  two  minutes.  Not  one 
of  these  coolies  has  any  other  clothing  than 
a  strip  of  dirty  white  cotton  cloth  around 
the  loins.  I  had  procured  from  the  pur- 
ser of  the  ship  a  handful  of  copper  coin 
which  1  scatter  at  random  among  th« 
crowd  and  shout  to  the  driver  to  go 
on.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  we  reach 
the  "Great  Eastern  Hotel,"  where 
I  am  saluted  by  another  crowd 
of  Coolies  seemingly  identical  with  these  I 


138 

escaped  from  at  the  landing.  Four  of  them 
tug  away  at  a  moderate  eized  trunk,  twice 
as  many  more  cling  to  the  other  small  par- 
esis, and  when  I  reach  the  office  of  the  hotel 
they  are  after  me  once  more  for  bucksheesK 
My  copper  coin  is  exhausted  and  I  hand 
them  ever  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
clerk  who  makes  short  work  of  them,  for 
he  talk3  Bsngalese  like  a  native.  H2  makes 
one  dash  at  them  with  hand,  foot  and  ton- 
gue and  they  fly  cut  of  the  door  like  a  fleck 
of  b'ack  sheep. 

The  "Great  Eastern"  is  an  immense  cara- 
vansary, occupying  a  whole  square.  The 
lower  floor  is  used  aa  a  Bazaar  for  the  sale 
of  everything  to  eat,  drink,  or  wear  of  Eu- 
ropean or  eastern  manufacture.  The  same 
stcck  company  runs  the  hotel  and  the  ba  - 
ziars,  and,  of  course,  such  a  mammoth  con- 
cern pays  no  dividend.  This  hotel,  though 
said  to  be  the  largest  and  best  in  India,  is 
not  comfortable  nor  first  class  according  to 
our  American  standard.  The  roots s  are 
lofty  and  spacicu^,  but  ill-furnished  and 
dingy.  Having  secured  one  of  these  barn- 
like apartments,  my  first  movement  is  to 
engRge  a  servant,  for  every  guest  is  expect- 
ed to  have  an  especial  lackey  to  take  care  of 
his  room,  bring  his  cc  ffae,  wait  on  him  at 
the  table,  etc.  For  this  position  worth  half 
a  rupee  (twentv  nve  cent*-)  a  day,  there  are 
twenty  applicants,  and  each  has  his  written 
"karacter"  from  a  former  employer.  These 
are  in  English  and  soms  are  curious  and  not 
entirely  complimentary  to  the  bearers. 
The  candidates  are  dressed  in  white  from 
head  to  foot,  except  the  sash  round  the 
waist  which  is  of  fancy  colors.  I  selected  an 
honest  looking  fellow  whose  colors  are  red, 
white  and  blue  stripes,  only  needing  the 
stars  to  seem  girded  by  an  American  fUg. 
He  repeats  his  name  several  times,  and  at 
last  I  catch  the  sound  as  * 'New  Var- 
mint." He  i3  immediately  installed,  address- 
es me  as  "Sahib"  makes  a  low  salaam,  touch- 
ing his  hands  to  his  forehead  and  bowing 
almost  to  the  fbor.  Nothing  can  exceed 
the  obsequiousness  of  manners  in  these  na- 
tive servant.11,  but  most  of  them  are  great 
rascals.  "New  Varmint"  never  speaks  to 
his  master  without  a  ealaam  so  low  that 
long  practice  alone  prevents  his  losing  his 
balance.  But  I  am  warned  not  to  leave  val- 
uables lying  around  loose,  and  I  soon  find 
that  in  every  purchase  in  any  shop,  native 
or  European,  the  "  VarmirS'  gets  a  com- 
mission. 
Calcutta  is  just  now  in  the  height  of  the 


139 


season,  and  this  is  race  week,  a  great  attrac 
tioa  to  the  English  at  home  or  abroad.    The 
races  are  advertised  from  7  to  10  o'clock  in 
the  morning-,  before  the   heat  of  the  sul 
drives   everybody   within  doors.    At  this 
early  hour  the  race  ground  is  covered  with 
stylish  carriages  containing  the  wealth  and 
fashion  of  the  metropolis.     Europeans  and 
Bengalese,  Turks  and  Arabs,  Hindoos  and 
Mohometan?,  in  clarences  and  broughamr, 
gharries,  dog-carts,  traps,  drajg3,  and  every 
conceivable    style   of  vehicle,    drawn   by 
horses,  mules  and  donkeys,  crowd  the  road. 
The  costumes  are  of  every  color  of  the  rain- 
bow, and  the  complexions  of  every  shad?, 
from  the  jat  black  with  straight  glossy  hair, 
whose  shiny  skins  are  an  excellent  foil  for 
their  white  cotton  robes,  up  through  half- 
caste  and   every  shade  of  mixture  to  pure 
white  blood.      The   gay  turbans  and   rich 
flawing  robes  of   silk  and  satin  worn  by 
the   Baboos,  or  native  merchants,  give  a 
pictures  queness  to  the  scsno  peculiar  to  the 
East.    The  track  is  of  soli*?,  firm  turf;  the 
horses  of  Arabian  stock,  the  jockeys  dressed 
in  fancy  colore,  the  races  run  at  full  speed  ae 
at  Epsom  or  Aecot  in  Ola   England.    But 
I  am  more  interested  in  lookirg  at  the  spsc- 
tatora  than  in  wa  cching  the  race.    I  notice 
that  no  person  on  foot,  horseback  or  in  car- 
riage, unless  of  pure  European  blood,  is  ad- 
mitted to  the  inner  circle,  or  rear  the  grand 
stand.    There  is  in  Isdia  a  larfee  class  of 
well  educated,  assd  often  very  wealthy  peo- 
ple, called  Eurasians,  or  English- speaking 
half  castes,  who     inter-marry     with    the 
European,     but      who       seem      to     be 
an   intermediate  race   between   the    Hin- 
doo   and   the   Caucasian.    T~e  predjudice 
of  color  shuts  them  out  from  the  best   Eng- 
lish ewcioty,  while  their  own  pride  and  su- 
periority in   culture   keeps  them  distinct 
from  the    wealthy   nations   of  full  Indian 
blood. 

Of  the  whole  resident  population  cf  Cal- 
cutta, less  than  ten  thousand  are  Europeans. 
Many  of  the  English  merchants  are  very 
wealthy  and  live  in  a  style  of  luxury  and 
splendor  that  impresses  the  stranger.  Their 
houses  are  literally  palaces,  and  their  hospi- 
tality unbounded.  The  Armenians  are  a 
very  numercu3  and  influential  body  of 
merchants,  and  the  native  Hindoos,  though 
forinerely  timorous,  now  as  bankers, 
agents  and  money  lender?,  venture  upon 
every  kind  of  mercantile  speculation,  and 
goods  belonging  to  native  merchant*,  val- 
ued at  several  millions  sterling  are  lying 


140 


for  sale  in  the  warehouses.  Calcutta  ia  the 
great  emporium  of  India.  Its  staple  com- 
modities of  export,  are  indigo,  opium,  cot 
ton,  sugar,  rice  and  silk,  and  by  means  of 
the  Ganges,  and  its  extensive  connection 
with  the  interior,  it  commands  an  immense 
commerce. 

Almost  two  centuries  ago,  the  Emperor 
of  Dalhi  granted  to  the  East  Icdia  Com- 
pany, a  tract  of  land  on  the  banks  of  the 
Hooghly,  which  is  the  site  now  occupied  by 
Calcutta.  On  it  was  then  a  native  village, 
called  "Kallcuttah,"  from  Kali,  a  goddess, 
Cutiah,  a  temple,  hetcs  the  name  of  what  is 
now  one  of  the  most  splendid  cities  of  Asia, 
and  the  seat  of  the  supreme  government  of 
the  British  in  Irdia.  Many  years  ago,  in 
the  time  of  Warren  Hastings,  when  EDg- 
lish  power  in  India  was  almost  extinguished, 
after  a  long  siege,  Calcutta  was  surrendered 
to  J?jad  Dowlah,  the  Rsjih  of  Bengal,  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  Englishmen  were 
shut  up  for  a  night  in  an  under  ground  call. 
The  next  morning  all  were  found  suffocated 
in  the  "Black  Hole"  of  Calcutta.  The  ex- 
act  location  of  this  spot,  which  is  so  often 
quoted,  is  between  the  Post  Office  and 
Court  House,  both  large  marble  buildings 
oa  the  strand. 

Since  the  Sepoy  rebellion  in  1857  that  great 
monopoly,  the  "East  India  Company,"  has 
ceased  to  exist.  It  was  an  anomaly  in  his- 
tory, an  imperium  m  imperio,  with  an  army 
of  o^er  two  hundred  thousand  men,  levy- 
ing war  and  making  treaties,  and  ruling 
with  despotic  sway  more  than  a  hundred 
and  fifty  millions  of  human  beings.  The 
terrible  exactions  of  this  powerful  corpora- 
tion culminated  in  a  blocdy  rebellion,  which 
was  trampled  out  with  an  iron  heel  at  a  cost 
to  England  of  $200,000,000.  During  the 
mutiny  the  horrible  atrocities  of  the  half  - 
civilized  natives,  goaded  on  by  religious 
fanaticisms,  were  not  more  shocking  to  the 
world  than  the  terrible  punishment  inflicted 
by  Christian  Englishmen  in  blowing  Sepoy 
prisoners  from  the  mouths  of  their  cannon. 
After  the  mutiny  wss  suppressed,  the  Eng- 
lish government  assumed  the  sovereignty 
of  this  immense  territory,  extending  from 
the  Himalayas  two  thousand  miles  to  Cape 
Cormorin,  and  from  the  Indian  ocean  on  the 
west  fifteen  hundred  miles  to  the  Bay  of 
Bengal— as  large  as  all  the  States  east  of 
the  Mississippi*  The  change  in  the  govern- 
ment has  resulted  in  the  reform  of  many 
abuse?,  whica,  in  the  old  times  of  Lord 
Clive  and  Warren  Hastings,  were  the  text 


141 


of  burning  denunciation  in  the  British  Par- 
liament. But  the  country  is  still  many  years 
behind  the  age.  Neither  native  nor  Euro- 
pean residents  have  any  voice  in  making  or 
administering  the  laws,  or  the  appointment 
of  their  rulers.  The  members  of  the  gov- 
ernment, all  being  sent  out  from  England. 
have  an  exaggerated  sense  of  their  import- 
ance and  dignity.  Laws  for  the  government 
of  this  vast  empire  are  enacted  ten  thousand 
miles  away,  taxes  are  imposed  and  tariffs 
arranged  with  little  regard  to  the  wants  or 
wishes  of  the  people  of  India.  The  salary 
of  the  Viceroy,  or  Governor  General,  is 
$125,000  a  year,  and  every  evening  his  car- 
riage appears  on  the  strand  drawn  by  six 
horses,  with  postillions  in  scarlet  livery, 
preceded  and  followed  by  red  coated  lancers. 
All  this  is  but  a  part  of  the  system  of  gov- 
erning this  country,  to  impress  upon  the 
ignorant  natives  the  grandeur  and  power  of 
their  British  rulers. 

Calcutta  boasts  many  large  and  imposing 
public  buildings,  among  which  is  the  Gov* 
ernment  House,  which  cost  about  $700,000, 
and  affords  ample  accommodation  for  ctU- 
cial  business  and  grand  levees  for  the  repre- 
sentatives of  royalty.  The  Mint  is  an  ele* 
gant  Doric  edifice  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  is  said  to  be  the  largest  in  the  world, 
having  a  capacity  of  striking  300,000  pieces 
in  a  working  day  of  seven  hour i.  Besides 
these,  there  are  numerous  museums,  libra- 
ries, churches  and  public  halls,  and  scat- 
tered through  the  park  and  near  the  Gov  ■ 
ernment  House  are  bronze  statues  of  Lord 
Hardinge,  the  Earl  of  Auckland,  Lord  Ben- 
tinck,  and  several  other  rulers  and  benefac- 
tors of  Iodia. 

Every  year,  as  soon  as  the  hot  weather 
sets  in,  or  by  the  middle  of  March,  the  Vice- 
royal  court,  with  the  whole  machinery  of 
the  government,  is  packed  off  by  railway  to 
Simla,  1,500  miles  north,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Himalayas,  and  here  it  remains  until  the 
close  of  the  rainy  season  in  Nove  tuber.  A 
more  inconvenient  arrangement,  so  far  as 
the  public  business  is  concerned,  can 
scarcely  be  imagined;  but  to  the  govern- 
ment officials  their  personal  comfort  is  of 
more  consequence  than  efficiency  or  regard 
for  the  public  Interest. 

A  week  in  Calcutta  exhausted  all  the 
novelties,  including  a  ride  in  a  palanquin, 
which  is  a  large  sized  black  coffia  borne  by 
two  dark  skinned  mournful -looking  Coolies 
in  white  robes.  It  is  tilted  on  one  side  to 
erawl  in,  and  you  must  lie  flat  on  your  back 


142 

and  perfectly  still.  U  you  turn  you  are  in 
dinger  of  upsetting  the  machine  and  being 
spilt  cut.  One  trial  of  the  Indian  '  palky," 
a3  it  is  called,  was  enough,  and  I  VGted  the 
machine  a  humbug  and  not  to  be  compared 
for  comfort  with  the  sedan  chair  of  Chins. 

One  evening  I  found  myself  in  a  gharry, 
with  my  baggage  and  New  Varmint  on  tbe 
top  of  the  vehicle,  bound  to  the 
station  of  tne  East  India  Eailway,  en  route 
for  the  up  country.  On  the  way  to  the  ter- 
minus I  stepped  into  another  hotel  to  say 
good  bye  to  my  Russian  friend  who  had 
acted  as  umpire  in  the  dorian  contest,  and 
while  there  1  heard  ths  boom  of  the  nine 
o'clock  evening  gun  in  the  Palace  grounds 
near  by,  and  then  a  loud  shouting  in  the 
street  followed  by  a  crash.  ThQ  driver  h~d 
left  his  seat  to  gossip  with  another  native, 
and  the  horse  frightened  at  the  report  of  the 
gun,  had  dashed  away,  the  vehicle  collided 
with  a  lamp  post  &nci  upset,  tossing  poor  N» 
V.  amid  a  shower  of  boxe?,  satchels  and 
bundles  into  the  middle  of  the  street,  when 
he  roiled  over  severel  times  in  the  white 
dust.  The  poor  fellow  wa3  not  hurt,  how- 
ever, but  so  badly  frightened  that  his  com- 
plexion with  the  addition  ol  a  thick  coat  of 
dust  wss  decidedly  more  European  than 
Asiatic  in  color.  After  some  delay  I  se- 
cured another  carriage,  but  train  time  was 
so  near  at  hand  that  I  barely  escaped  being 
left  by  the  ferry  boat  which  conveys  pas- 
sengers across  the  Hooghly  to  the  suburb  of 
Howrah  where  the  railway  station 
is  located.  "New  Varmint"  slu;k 
to  me  to  the  last,  and  so  the  train 
whirled  away  and  I  saw  him  from  the 
window  of  my  compartment  bowing  and 
salaaming  lower  than  ever  in  consideration 
of  the  liberal  douceur  which  he  received  in 
addition  to  his  paj  and  perquisites. 

I  had  not  seen  a  railway  since  I  left  San 
Francisco  four  months  previous,  and  the 
novelty  was  quite  er  jay  able.  A  few  years 
ago  the  traveller  who  would  penetrate -into 
the  interior  ot  India  was  obliged  to  travel 
in  a  Dak  Gharry  at  tho  rate  of  forty  or  fifty 
miles  a  day,  and  my  proposed  trip  of  nearly 
throe  thousand  miles  up  the  valley  of  the 
Ganges  to  Delhi,  thencs  to  the  Himalayas, 
and  back  through  Northwestern  and  Cen- 
tral India  to  Bombay,  would  have  occupied 
many  months,  and  involved  too  much  risk 
and  hardship  to  pay  as  a  pleasure  excur- 
sion. But  to-day  there  are  over  six 
thousand  miles  of  complete  railway  in  India 
and  several  thousand   more  arc   building. 


143 


Since  the  Sepoy  mutiny  which  came  eo  near 
being  successful,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of 
transportation,  the  government  has  favored 
all  railway  projects  for  their  military  value 
in  controlling  provinces  thousands  of  miles 
distant.  But  a  much  stronger  impulse  wat; 
given  in  this  direction  by  our  rebellion,  in 
raising  the  price  cf  cotton  and  stimulating 
its  culture  over  a  vast  extent  cf  territory. 

These  roads  are  all  built  and  worked  by 
companies,  but  the  government  guarantees 
a  five  per  cent,  dividend  to  the  stockhold- 
ers and  exercises  a  general  control  over  the 
management.  It  was  at  first  supposed  that 
the  natives  would  not  ride  in  carriages 
where  thsy  would  lose  caste  by  touching  an 
inferior ;  but  happily  this  proved  to  be  a 
mistake,  and  the  principal  income  from  pas- 
senger traffic  is  derived  from  the  natives, 
who  travel  third  and  fourth  class,  at  from  a 
third  to  half  a  cent  per  mile.  The  great 
moral  effect  of  railways  upon  India  in 
weakening  the  ties  of  caste  ia  perhaps  of 
even  more  importance  than  the  wonderful 
development  of  the  country,  in  stimulating 
the  production  of  the  great  staples  bv  pro- 
viding an  easy  and  rapid  transportation  to 
the  seaboard. 

The  Indian  railways,  like  everything  else 
English,  are  well  and  substantially  built. 
Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  wood  and  to  the 
destructivecess  of  the  white  ants,  iron  takes 
its  place  almost  everywhere.  The  station 
houses  are  ail  of  stone  or  brick,  with  corru- 
gated iron  roofs ;  the  ties  and  sleepers,  all 
the  bridges,  and  even  the  telegraph  pole?, 
are  of  iron.  When  it  is  considered  that  the 
engines  and  cars,  as  well  as  every  p  und  cf 
iron  used  in  the  construction  and  equipment 
of  these  6,000  miles  of  road  has  been  brought 
out  from  Eagland,  it  will  be  understood 
how  immensely  expansive  theee  railways 
have  been.  In  the  management  everything 
is  English,  with  only  such  modifications  as 
are  absolutely  necessary  in  this  climate. 
Here  as  in  England  the  word  "car"  is  un- 
known—we ride  in  "carriages"  or  "wag- 
ons," and  the  gentlemanly  "conductor"  is 
transformed  into  a  "guard,"  who  wears  the 
uniform,  buttons  and  badge  of  the  railway. 
Aa  in  Europe  the  carriages  are  divided  into 
compartments  holding  ei?ht  persons,  with 
doors  opening  on  both  sides  to  the  platform, 
which  are  locked  by  the  guard  before  the 
train  starts.  Freight  cars  are  here  termed 
"goods  vans"— every  employee,  from  the 
General  Superintendent  down  to  the  coolie, 
is  spoken  of  as  a  "servant"  of  the  compacy. 


144 


The  first  and  second  c.ass  are  alike,  except 
that  one  is  cushioned  and  the  other  caned. 
The  latter  is  just  half  the  price,  but  quite  as 
comfortable  in  hot  weather.  The  carriages 
sre  stronger,  larger  and  loftier  than  the 
English  model,  an  1  are  protected  from  the 
sun  by  a  double  roof,  the  upper  one  a  few 
inches  abovs  the  lower  and  projecting 
slightly  on  either  side.  Every  window,  in 
addition  to  glasses,  has  Venetian  blinds,  and 
frequently  sun-shades  beside,  and  ventilation 
is  especially  provided  for.  Bat  what  avail 
double  roof,  Venetian  blind  or  sun-shade 
against  the  terrible  heat  of  an  Indian  sum- 
mer ?  Then  the  carriages  became  like  fur- 
naces seven  times  heated.  The  very  seat  is 
hot;to  the  touch,  and  you  are  afraid  to  lean 
back  lest  your  coat  stick  to  the  varnished 
panel.  If  no  ladies  are  present  you  relapse 
into  the  free-and-easy,  take  off  the  boots 
from  your  swollen  feet,  denude  yourself  of 
coat  and  vest,  hang  your  soaked  collar  up 
to  dry,  elevate  your  feet,  if  possible,  to  the 
level  of  your  nose,  light  a  cheroot,  and 
dreamily  subside  into  a  patient  endurance 
of  the  miseries  of  th9  situation. 

Everywhere  else  but  in  the  East  a  ser- 
vant is  considered  a  luxuryj  to  be  indulged 
in  only  by  those  who  can  travel  "regard- 
less of  expense ;"  but  here  it  seems  an  indis- 
pensable requisite  to  comfort.  A  first-class 
ticket  on  railways,  steamers  and  hotels  in- 
cludes the  fare  of  a  native  servant,  and  one 
can  er j :>y  the  luxury  of  being  called  "Sa- 
hib" by  his  own  "boy"  at  a  very  trifling 
draft  on  his  purse.  W.  P.  F. 


NUMBEU  TWENTY-ONE. 

Currency  in  India— Small  Change  Al- 
ways Wanted— Requisites  for  a  Jour- 
ney—A.  Unique  Head-gear-Sleeping 
Carriages  —  Irrigation  —  Opium  mo- 
nopoly—Scenes on  the  Railway— Na- 
tive Villa ges-Benarer,  the  Holy  City 
— Shiva-Dotta,  Pundit— The  Ganges 
—The  Monkey  Temple— The  Ghants 
of  Benares  —  Burning  Bodies— An 
Ancient  Observatory  —  Motque  «f 
Aurrangzebe  — A  Glimpse  Behind 
the  Scenes— The  Curtain  Suddenly 
Dropped— The  Golden  Pagoda- Hin- 
doo Worship— A  String  of  Marigolds 
—England  Manufactures  Idols  for 
India* 

Benares,  on  the  Ganges,  ) 
February,  1871.  S 
The  unit  of  currency  in  India  is  the  rupee, 
worth  about  two  shillings  or  half  a  dollar. 
The  other  denominations  of  coin  are  annas, 
sixteen  to  a  rupee,  and  pice,  twelve  to  an 
anna.  Besides  tliese,  cowries,  white,  glosey 
shells,  are  used  for  small  payments  among 
the  natives  in  the  bazaars.  The  great  bulk 
of  the  currency  is  silver  rupees  with  their 
fractions,  all  of  which  is  coined  in  Calcutta. 
The  Ionian  government  also  issues  currency 
notes  of  ten  rupees  and  upward,  but  these 
are  redeemable  only  at  the  the  presidency 
where  issued,  so  that  Calcutta  notes  are  at 
a  small  discount  in  Bombay,  and  vice  versa. 
A  good  supply  of  small  coin  is  very  desira- 
ble, and  saves  one  from  throwing  away 
annas  where  pice  would  do  just  as  well.  The 
railway  company  furnishes  no  porters  and 
the  demand  for  small  change  soon  depletes 
the  deepest  purse,  for  the  Coolies  Hock 
round  you  at  every  station  and  tease  you  for 
bucksheesh  if  they  barely  touch  the  smallest 
piece  of  luggage,  not  to  mention  the  poor 
beggars  "whom  ye  have  always  with  you" 
in  the  east.  The  European  residents  com- 
plain that  travelers  have  spoiled  the  nativta 
by  paying  them  three  or  four  times  too 
much  for  trilling  services,  and  it  teems  nat- 
ural to  an  American  to  give  a  Coolie  half  a 
rupee  for  carrying  his  luggage  a  mile  under 
a  boiling  sun,  while  a  resident  would  pay 
him  but  a  quarter  that  sum  or  two  annas, 


146 


asd  he  would  salaam  quite  as  low  and  con- 
elder  himself  well  paid. 

Too  much  bsggage  in  traveling  is  pro- 
verbially a  nuisance— but  no  one  cin  travel 
ia  Iadia  without  a  rasa i  (a  stuffed  cotton 
quilt),   a  pillow  and   a  railway  rug.    The 
distances  sie  long,  and  although    even  in 
winter  the  heat  at  midday  is  oppressive,  at 
night  it  is  quite  coo!.    The   differerce  in 
temperature  between  midday  and  midnight 
i*  excessive.    Every  one  here  wears  a  solar 
topee,  a  hat  made  of  pith  half  an  inch  thick, 
but  very  light,  ventilated  around  the  head, 
aLd  shaped  sometimes  like  an  antique  hel- 
DH4  ,    but   m-ire  frequently    resembling   a 
wooden  chopping-bcwl.  Around  it  is  wound 
a  puggree  of  white  cambric,  or  thin  lawn. 
Though  very  odd  in  appearance  to  a  stranger, 
this  is  by  far  the  most  comfortable  head- 
gear for  a  tropical  climate  I  have  ever  seen. 
0:e  is  allowed  all    the  luggage  free  that 
will  go  undsr  the  seat  or  can  be  piled  in  the 
rick  overhead,  but  trunk3  have  to  be  regis- 
tered and  receipted  for  by  a  very  compli- 
cated system  and  paid  for  at  a  high  rate  of 
transportation.    Baggage  checks,  as  well  as 
Pullman  sleeping  car?,  are  unknown  any- 
where in  the  world  except   in   America. 
My  first  n?ght  on  the  train  was  anything 
but  comfortable,  although  the  misery  of  sit- 
ting up  all  night  was  mitigated  by  an  ar- 
rangement peculiar  to  these  India  carriages, 
oe  raising  the  cushion  behind  the  seat  and 
strapping   it   to   the  roof,   thus   affording 
shelves  for  four  persons.    The  first-class  car* 
riages  are  nevar  crowded,  and  I  have  fre- 
quently  rode   hundreds   of  miles   with  a 
whole  compartment  to  myself.  In  this  train 
there   are  m>e   fourth-class  cars,    each  of 
which  is  crowded  with  at  least  forty  natives, 
bat  not  more  than  twenty  Europeans  all 
told. 

As  I  described  to  an  English  fellow* 
trader  this  morning,  the  luxury  of  our 
drawing-room  and  sleeping  cars  he  seemed 
much  interested  and  surprised ;  but  I  was 
somewhat  annoyed  at  a  slight  raising  of  the 
eyebrows,  as  if  he  thought  I  was  drawing 
a  long  bow. 

Our  course  wa*  to  the  north-west,  up  the 
valley  cf  the  Ganges,  five  hurdred  and 
forty  mile  to  Benares,  a  journey  of  about 
twenty-four  hours,  ineluding  stoppages. 
The  country  is  very  level,  and  thoroughly 
cultivated.  Tbis  valley  for  fifteen  hundred 
miles  is  the  most  populous  and  fertile  in 
India,  but  every  crop  depends  on  irrigation 
by  the  numerous  Cinal. ;  and  wells  with 


14/ 


the  old  fashioned  sweeps,  or  where  bullocks 
are  drawing  water  to  be  poured  by  hand 
upon  the  fields  are  everywhere  to  be  seen. 
Rice,  tobacco,  castor  oil-beane,  and  poppies 
are  the  principal  crops.  The  poppy  is  cul- 
tivated  under  the  immediate  supervision  of 
the  Government  authorities,  who  take  the 
crop  at  a  fixed  price  and  manufacture  it 
into  opium.  This  monopoly  yields  a  year- 
ly income  to  the  Indian  Government  of 
seven  million  pounds  sterling .  The  horizon 
is  fringed  with  palms,  and  over  there  broad 
prairies  the  mango  trees  are  scattered  like 
the  oaks  in  an  Eoglish  park.  An  occa- 
sional glimpse  of  the  Ganges  calls  up  no 
enthusiasm.  It  is  now  the  dry  season  and 
the  Sscred  River  is  very  low,  with  broad, 
nandy  banks.  The  current  is  as  rapid  as  the 
Missouri,  and  the  water  of  the  same  dingy, 
yellow  color.  The  railway  is  fenced  with 
cactus  hedges  and  its  showy  yellow 
blossoms  form  a  bright  feature  in  the  land  - 
scape. 

The  native3  have  very  little  idea  of  time* 
tables  and  departure  hours.  They  walk 
down  to  the  stations  and  there  sit  on  the 
platforms  smoking  their  hookahs,  waiting 
patiently  for  the  train  to  arrive  whether  it 
is  ( ne  hour  or  ten.  But  when  they  hear  tho 
train  coming  thej  loose  all  self-control  and 
rush  like  a  flock  of  sheep  crowding  and 
jamming,  with  an  uproar  that  sounds  like 
a  Babel  of  tongues,  towards  the  pens  pro- 
vided for  them,  as  if  for  dear  life,  where 
they  are  stowed  away  like  tightly-packed 
herrings.  Here  once  seated  the  hubbub 
subsides,  and  they  whiff  at  their  hubble- 
bubbles  in  stolid  in  difference,  and  never  com- 
plain to  the  guard  at  being  behind  time. 
For  the  convenience  of  this  class  of  travel- 
ers, from  whom  the  chief  income  of  the 
company  is  derived,  the  stations  are  very 
close  together,  and  as  the  trains  stop  at  every 
station  the  rate  of  speed  rarely  exceeds 
twenty  miles  an  hour.  Nearly  all  the  rail- 
way employees  are  natives,  and  the  ticket 
clerks  and  book-keepers  are  usually  half- 
castes,  who  speak  Eaglish  as  well  as  Hin- 
doostanic.  They  are  addressed  as  Baboos,  a 
title  of  honor,  and  feel  infinitely  above  their 
native  brethren.  They  are  very  civil  to 
Europeans,  but  the  way  they  kick  and  cuff 
the  natives  is  an  illustration  of  the  effect  of 
"a  little  brief  authority"— the  same  all  the 
world  over. 

During  tne  night  the  incumerable  stop- 
ping places  with  unprcnouncable  names  dis- 
turbed many  a  comfortable  "forty  winks," 


14S 

and  when  morning  came,  and  I  tried  to  as- 
certain  Gur  whereabouts,  it  was  quite  im- 
possible to  understand  the  names  of  the  sta- 
tions as  shouted  b7  the  attendant  porter, 
who  yells  cut  in  a  barbaric  manner  some 
such  euphonious  name  as  Chandaragore,  or 
Dildaranaggur,  meanwhile  clanging  his  bell 
to  announce  the  approach  of  the  train.  As 
the  day  grew  hot  a  water-carrier  with  a 
well-filled  skin  upon  his  back  appeared  at 
every  station  and  ran  alongside  the  native 
cars  in  answer  to  the  universal  shcu;  of 
'ah!  ah!  Beestie!"  The  dust  and  glare  was 
almost  intolerable,  but  I  had  been  warned 
not  to  partake  of  this  "cholera  mixture,"  al- 
though an  occasional  ablution  taken  al  fresco 
at  the  carriage  doo",  with  a  towel,  soap  and 
sponge  from  my  traveling  bag,  wa3  quite  a 
luxury. 

The  scene  when  we  stopped  for  dinner  was 
unique.  The  station-master  and  the  spar- 
rows alone  were  EDgiish— everything  else 
locked  Eastern.  Black  Sepoy  soldiers  rushed 
frantically  among  the  screaming  natives 
who  were  crowding  into  the  train,  each 
hugging  a  big  bundle,  sometimes  containing 
household  stuff  and  sometimes  babies— pal- 
kees  and  doolies— palanquins  and  sedans,  as 
we  should  call  them— waited  at  the  back 
door  of  the  station— natives  were  crowded 
around  the  "booking  office"  for  tickets, 
where  the  Baboo  in  attendance  was  coolly 
smoking  his  water-pipe— an  ibis  was  drink- 
ing at  the  engine  tank ;  a  sacred  cow  looking 
over  the  cactus  hedge;  a  tame  elephant 
reaching  up  with  his  trunk  at  the  telegraph 
wire,  on  which  was  perched  a  bird  with 
bright  plumage,  while  an  Indian  vulture 
crowned  the  iron  telegraph  post.  I  wa9  so 
much  amused  at  watching  these  strange 
sights  that  I  quite  forgot  my  dinner,  and 
when  the  starting  bell  rung  I  made  a  rush 
to  the  dining  room  and  seizad  a  couple  of 
sandwiches,  for  which  I  paid  a  rup°e,  and, 
without  stopping  for  the  change,  jumpsdon 
board  the  train,  whica  was  already  in  mo 
tion. 

In  the  broad  cultivated  plain  through 
which  we  pass  there  are  no  detached  houses 
to  be  seen,  but  we  frequently  rush  past  mud 
villages  which  contain  quite  a  colony  of 
people,  and  are  the  most  wretched  and 
filthy  imaginable.  A  moat  full  of  black 
looking  water  surrounds  each,  which  an- 
swers the  double  purpose  of  keeping  eff 
snakes  and  wild  animals,  and  of  breeding 
mosquitoes — especially  the  latter.  The 
thatched  roofs  and  mud  walls  have  a  tumble 


149 

down  look,  and  as  there  are  no  chimneys, 
the  smoke  escapes  through  the  roof  or  low 
doorway,  and  keeps  out  the  mosquitoes. 
The  ditch  is  usually  spanned  by  a  narrow 
plank,  which  seems  to  be  a  favorite  spot  to 
perform  the  operation  of  tooth  cleaning,  for 
we  rarely  pass  one  of  these  narrow  bridges 
upon  which  one  or  more  natives  is  not 
perched,  industriously  scrubbing  at  his 
mouth,  which  I  think  must  be  a  part  of  the 
religion  of  a  Hindoo,  for  though  his  black 
skin  may  be  filthy,  and  his  hair  frowsly,  I 
notice  that  their  teeth  are  universally  white 
and  clean. 

Passing  by  one  of  these  villages  by  mid- 
day one  cannot  appreciate  the  multitude  of 
inhabitants  it  shelters.  All  is  still  and 
somnolent— even  the  trees.  The  men  are 
away  at  work  in  the  fields,  their  better- 
halves  are  asleep,  and  the  children  are  at  the 
schools  supported  by  the  government  but 
for  which  the  people  have  to  pay  in  taxes. 
But  in  the  early  morning,  or  an  hour  before 
dark  in  the  evening,  all  is  clazrpr  and  bustle. 
The  children  are  noisily  playing  and  making 
mud-pies,  the  "lasses"  are  gathering  cow- 
manure,  which  is  stuck  against  the  walls  to 
dry  for  fuel,  the  father  is  washing  himself 
and  his  linen  in  the  ditch  in  front  of  the 
village,  from  which  the  women  are  filling 
water  jars  for  culinary  purposes.  Here  the 
village  barber  is  removing  the  hair  from  tho 
poll  of  a  slightly  clad  gentleman  sitting  on 
his  haunches  in  the  street,  while  a  Brahmin 
near  by  daubs  a  would-be  dandy  with  a 
finishing  touch  of  ochre  on  his  forehead  and 
nose.  As  the  "fire  carriage"  whirls  by,  a 
crowd  of  swarthy,  naked  little  imps  line  the 
moat  to  gaze  at  the  sight,  and  the  head  of 
the  family  standing  up  to  his  waist  in  the 
filthy  pond,  ceases  for  a  moment  the  cleans- 
ing process  of  daubing  himself  with  mud  to 
lock  at  the  t*ain,  which,  though  no  longer 
a  novelty,  will  always  remain  to  him  an 
unfathomable  mystery. 

Just  before  dark  we  reach  Mogul-Seran 
the  junction  of  a  branch  road  six  miles  long 
to  Benares,  the  sacred  city  of  the  Hindoos. 
Here  we  cross  the  Ganges  by  a  bridge  of 
boats,  and  drive  two  miles  through  the  nar- 
row streets  to  the  English  Cantonment, 
where  a  one- story  Bungalow,  called  the 
"Victoria  Hotel,"  the  only  one  here,  though 
not  very  promising  in  appearance,  affords 
us  a  good  supper  and  a  comfortable  bed. 

We  took  an  early  start  the  next  morning 
to  "do"  the  sights  of  this  curious  place. 
Our  guide  was   a   high-caste   Brahmin,  a 


150 

fine-looking  and  very  intelligent  young  man 
who  was  educated  at  the  Queens'  College  in 
that  city.  He  wrote  his  name  in  a  Sanscrit 
book  which  he  gave  me  as  "ShiYa  Dotta, 
Pundit."  He  laughed  at  the  superstition 
of  his  countrymen  and  professed  to  disbe- 
lieve in  Brahma  and  in  his  namesake  Shir  a ; 
but  I  could  not  make  out  that  in  objuring 
Paganism  he  had  embraced  Christianity. 
Like  many  Hindoos  who  have  been  educated 
above  the  religion  of  their  ancestors  he  was 
skeptical,  and  had  no  religion  or  theology  of 
any  kind  to  speak  of. 

This  city  has  been  over  a  century  under 
the  rule  of  the  English,  but  it  has  changed 
leas  than  any  other  large  place  in  India. 
The  most  intense  bigotry  and  superstition 
rules  everywhere  supreme.  The  inhabi- 
tants are  almost  exclusively  Hindoos  who 
support  hundred  of  temples,  while  the 
Mohamedans  have  but  one  great  Mosque 
whose  stately  minarets  mark  the  triumph 
of  the  crescent  over  the  object  and  super* 
stitous  Hindoos.  As  we  rode  through  the 
suburbs  we  passed  nundreds  of  women  step* 
ping  gracefully  along,  bearing  water  jugs 
on  their  heads,  while  many  others  were 
crowded  around  the  well  waiting  their 
turn  to  dip  the  bright  copper  cans  holding 
about  a  quart,  which  every  Hindoo  carries, 
into  the  water  to  fill  their  jugs.  They  kept 
up  a  continual  clatter  like  so  many  mag- 
pies, ehouting  and  gesticulating  in  the 
most  excited  manner.  A  true  Hindoo  when 
not  asleep,  is  always  talking  or  playing  on 
the  torn  torn. 

The  great  sight  in  Benares  is  the  river 
front,  which  is  lined  with  palaces,  temples, 
and  ghants  for  two  miles,  and  where  the 
Hindoo  pilgrims  como  from  ah  over  India 
to  wash  in  the  sacred  river.  A  drive  of  half 
an  houf  brought  us  to  the  Ganges  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  city.  On  the  way  we 
stopped  10  see  the  famous  "Monkey  Tem- 
ple," where  swarms  of  huge,  fat-paunched, 
yellow-headed  holy  monkeys  fill  the  en- 
closure,  hang  from  roofs,  are  strung  along 
every  beam,  and  grin  at  you  from  all 
sides.  Before  we  reached  their  temple  we 
met  the  outposts  running  along  the  walls 
keeping  alongside  our  gharry>  and  lumping 
down  to  secure  the  handfulls  of  parched  peas 
thrown  to  them  by  my  guide.  Inside  the 
temple  and  around  the  large  sacred  tank 
adjoining,  are  many  thousands  of  these  fat, 
well-fed  fellows  from  the  venerable  pa- 
triarch to  the  "babe  in  its  mother's  arms." 
They  are  cunning,  mischievous  and  quite 


«5    v^r 


^3W-  v 


*>■■ 


151 


i  gnorant  of  the  laws  of  meum  and  teum,  for 
they  steal  everything  they  can  put  their 
paws  on ;  but  the  Hindoo  venerates  the  ape, 
and  their  sscred  character  protects  them 
from  all  molestation.  They  believe  that 
these  are  dee candants  from  the  Monkey  God 
himself  who  came  to  India  thousands  of 
years  ago.  At  the  call  of  the  priests,  to 
whom  I  gave  some  money  to  buy  food,  they 
came  noisily  flocking  from  every  direction, 
along  roof  and  parapet,  from  turret  and  pin- 
nacle, down  pillars,  from  every  corner  and 
crannie  each  eager  to  receive  his  share, 
cramming  their  pouches  with  frightened 
haste,  keeping  one  eye  on  up,  as  if  ready  for 
attack  or  retreat.  Some  were  large,  ugly- 
looking  customers  as  if  disposed  to  show 
fight.  When  I  shook  my  cane  at  them  they 
scampered  away,  but  stopped  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance to  grin  and  "make  f&css,"  mocking 
every  motion  in  that  comical,  semi-human 
manner  peculiar  to  the  tribe.  My  "shaking 
a  stick  at  them"  made  the  attendant  priests 
ecowl  at  me,  and  to  strike  one  would  lead  to 
serious  consequences. 

Arriving  at  the  ?  iver's  edge, we  embarked 
on  a  boat  and  floated  slowly  down  the 
stream,  which  is  about  six  hundred  yards 
wide,  keeping  just  near  enough  to  the  shore 
to  witness  one  of  the  strangest  sights  in  the 
world.  The  Ghants,  or  stone  steps  rise 
eighty  feet  from  the  water,  and  arc  crowned 
with  splendid  palaces  of  cut  stone,  four  and 
five  stories  in  height,  with  carved  saracenic 
arches  over  the  door-ways  and  windows. 
Facing  the  east  the  early  mornin?  sun 
gave  a  splendid  architectural  effect  to  this 
river  front,  whicli  Bayard  Taylor  says, 
"cannot  be  paralleled  or  surpassed  by  any 
similar  scsne  in  India,  or  in  the  world." 
Many  of  these  buildings  are  the  palaces  of 
wealthy  Hindoo  princss  who  make  peri- 
odical visits  to  Benares  to  purge  themselves 
from  sins  contracted  in  lees  holy  habita- 
tions. There  is  no  sin  so  abominable,  not 
even  the  crime  of  murder,  which  a  dip  in 
the  fetid  waters  of  the  Ganges  does  not  in- 
stantly effic?.  At  the  foot  of  the  Ghants 
were  thousands  of  bathers,  men,  women 
and  children,  ducking  and  splashing  in  the 
sacred  stream.  Many  were  entirely  nude, 
others  were  "next  to  nothing"  in  the  way 
of  drapery,  and  as  they  stood  waist-deep  in 
in  the  water,  going  through  tbeir  prostra- 
tions and  pcuring  the  filthy  stuff  over  their 
heads,  they  seemed  perfectly  indifferent  to 
the  gftze  of  the  crowd  around.  Mingled  to- 
gether and  seemingly   quite  ucconcious  of 


15l> 


each  others'  presence,  ould  be  seen  the  so* 
ber,  sedate  matron,  the  young  maiden,  the 
venerable  priest  with  his  young  disciple, 
and  the  nude  ascetic  with  weasened  aspect 
and  withered  limbs,  engaged  in  rites  and 
ceremonies  hallowed  to  them  by  the  usage 
of  centuries.  Thick,  black  smoke  rose  to 
the  clear  blue  sky  from  bonfires  between 
the  Ghants  on  the  bank,  where  the  bodies 
of  th9  dead  are  being  consimed, after  which 
the  ashes  would  be  thrown  into  the  river  to 
float  straight  to  paradise.  But  the  most 
horrible  sights  were  the  dead  bodies,  some 
of  them  partially  consumed,  which  we  saw 
floating  around  in  the  river.  Along  the 
bank  in  other  pJaces,  were  lines  of  prostrate 
sick  people,  brought  to  the  sacred  Ganges 
to  die,  or  perhaps  to  be  murdered  by  suf- 
focation with  sacred  mud  by  impatient 
heirs,  which  is  said  to  be  not  an  unusual 
occurrence.  No  where  in  the  world  unless 
in  Central  Africa,  can  be  seen  such  besotted 
superstition  and  idolatry  coupled  with  such 
intolerant  fanaticism  as  in  Benares. 

We  land  near  a  large  stone  building  of 
tasteful  architecture,  but  somewhat  decayed, 
called  the  observatory  of  Jai- Singh,  founded 
in  1680.  Upon  the  flit  roof  are  several 
charts  of  the  heavens  on  stone,  and  a  mural 
quadrant  for  taking  the  sun's  altitude.  In 
old  times  a  po3se  of  astrologers  was  main- 
tained here  to  observe  and  record  the  mo- 
tion of  the  sun,  moon  and  planets. 

From  here  we  drove  to  the  Great  Mosqut 
of  Aurremzebe  of  Vishnu,  which  he  demol- 
ished, to  signalize  the  triumph  of  Islam  over 
Brahminism.  The  foundation  is  eighty  feet 
above  the  river,  upon  which  is  built  the 
mosque,  with  high  arched  dome  and  two 
slender  mm  are,  each  one  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  feet  in  height.  Their  diameter  at  the 
base  is  only  eight  and  one  fourth  feet,  de- 
creasing to  seven  and  one-half  feet  at  the 
top.  Though  so  tall  and  slender  tbey  have 
an  interior  staircase  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty  steps.  Our  a£C9nt  was  not  devoid  of 
risk,  for  each  is  said  to  lean  fifteen  inches 
from  the  perpendicular.  But  the  river  from 
the  summit  was  superb,  and  well  repaid  the 
trouble  and  fatigue  of  the  climb.  At  our 
feet,  for  miles  around,  was  stretched  the 
crowded  city,  with  its  gaudily-painted  build- 
ings heaped  together  in  tangled  confusion, 
while  the  streets  were  so  narrow  and. 
crooked  as  hardly  to  be  distinguished  in  the 
mass. 

Looking  down  from  this  lofty  pinnacle  I 
caught  sight  of  a  bevy   of    gaily- dressed 


15' 


ladiee,  who  were  sitting  in  a  little  garden 
within  a  high  enclosure— the  family  per- 
haps of  some  wealthy  native.  Although 
women  of  the  common  class  cm  be  seen 
anywhere  in  the  street,  all  ladies  of  high 
rank  are  kept  in  the  strictest  seclusion. 
These  were  riehly  dressed  and  seemed  quite 
pretty ;  but  perhaps  it  was  the  "distance 
that  lent  enchantment  to  the  view."  While 
I  was  watching  them  through  my  opera- 
glass  they  caught  sight  of  me,  and  looked 
up  through  their  hand,  in  imitation  of  my 
glass,  with  a  curiosiLy  greater  perhaps  than 
my  own— for  I  presume  they  had  nevsr  be 
fore  seen  the  face  of  a  Frank.  But  suddenly 
an  old  grey-headed  fellow  (he  might  be  hus 
band  or  father)  appeared  on  the  ecene, 
glanced  up  at  me,  and  drove  the  ladiee,  with 
threatening  gestures,  into  the  house.  I 
hope  my  innocent  curiosity  was  not  the 
cause  of  trouble  in  the  family.  Descending 
from  our  lofty  view-point  to  the  busy  hive 
below  we  slowly  threaded  our  way  out  of 
the  labyrinth  to  the  wider  street,  where 
our  gharry  was  waiting,  stopping  at  a  toy- 
shop to  buy  some  curiously  painted  and  var- 
nished toys  which  are  a  specialty  of  Be- 
nares manufacture,  the  peculiarity  of  which 
is  that  the  bright-colored  pigment  is  not  re- 
movable by  use. 

Later  in  the  day,  under  the  guidance  of 
"Shiva  Dotta,"  I  went  to  visit  the  famous 
"Golden  Pagoda,"  dedicated  to  the  god 
Shiva.  It  is  situated  in  the  most  crowded 
part  of  the  city  and  only  accessible  on  loot. 
From  the  roof  rise  three  irregular  spires 
and  domes,  covered  with  sheet  copper  gilt, 
presenting  the  appearence  in  the  sun  of 
glittering  masses  of  burnished  gold.  The 
throng  around  the  temple  was  so  dense  that 
it  was  only  after  a  fearful  amount  of  push- 
ing and  crowding  through  an  excited  throng 
of  both  sex  as  and  all  ages  that  we  could 
penetrate  the  vestibule.  The  "holy  of 
holies"  none  were  permitted  to  enter  but 
the  priests  and  privileged  worshippers. 
Around  us  in  the  doorway  was  a  frantic 
crowd  shouting,  screaming  and  howling  in 
their  eagerness  to  gain  a  sight  of  the  holy 
chamber.  Not  being  peimitted  to  advance, 
the  pushing  and  crowding  behind  us  of 
hese,  who  seemed  frantic  with  religious 
frenzy,  nearly  took  us  off  our  feet.  Within 
the  sacred  inclosure  before  the  lingam,  or 
emblem  of  worship,  was  a  marble  basin  into 
which  the  priests  were  throwing  yellow 
flowers,  and  those  permitted  to  enter  were 
pouring    from    their    brass     utensils   the 


154 

holy  water  they  had  brought  from  the  Gan  - 
ges.     After   dipping    the   flowers,    which 
seemed  to  me  like  yellow  marigolds,  into  the 
fountain  the  priests  threw  them  through  the 
doorway  to  the  pecpie,  who  Ecrambled  after 
them  most  frantically,  believing   that  they 
possessed   some   marvelous  charm.    A  fat, 
oily-looking  Brahmin   waddled  to  the  door 
and  threw  round  my  neck  a  strirg  of  fl  »w 
ers,  at  the  same  time  holding  out  his  han 
for  bucksheesh.    The  crowd  behind  ecowled 
at  my  good  luck,    and  my  guide   dre  v   me 
away,  for  no  one  could  tell  what  the  zsal 
these  deluded  facatic3  would  lead    them  t 
do  to  an  unbeliever.    Ten  years  ago  my  life 
would  not  have  been  worth  a  minute's  pur» 
chase  in  such  a  place.  I  bestowed  my  strin 
of  marigolc  s  upon  some  one  who  could  ap- 
preciate their  value,  and   we  elbowed  our 
way  into  the  comparatively  fresh  air  of  the 
street,  having  seen  enough  of  Hindoo  idol 
atry. 

On  our  way  back  to  the  "Victoria,"  we 
passed  hundreds  of  6hops  devoted  to  the 
manufacture  of  brass  and  copper  idols  of 
Vishnu,  Shiva  and  Buddha.  In  other  shops 
where  no  manufacturing  was  going  on  1 
saw  large  quantities  of  hideous  little  idols 
made  of  iron  and  covered  with  gilt  lacquer, 
which  my  guide  assured  me  were  [made  in 
Birmingham.  Verily,  not  India  alone,  but 
Christian  England  also,  is  somewhat  given 
up  to  I-dollar-try.  W.  P.  F. 


1    &.35.1S  -, 


NUMBER  TWENTY-TWO. 

Allahabad  Junction-The  City  of  Al- 
lah—An Invisible  River— Paradise  far 
the  Faithfal— The  Fort— A  Puzzle  for 
Savant— Club  for  a  Giant— The  Fu- 
ture Capital -Krusra  Garden— Tame 
Sparrow* — Cawnpore — The  Sepoy 
Rebellion— The  Memorial  Garden— 
Lucknow,  the  City  of  Palaces— First 
Impressions  Illative— The  Heart's  De- 
light— Martiniere-  "Secunder  Bagh" 
—The  "Palace  of  Csesai"~The  Mu- 
seum—The Residency— An  Impressive 
Ruin-"Dinna  Ye  Hear  the  Slogan  !" 
—The  Grave  of  Havelock— Barbarity 
of  the  Conquerors— Treatment  of  the 
Natives. 

Lucknow,  India,  February,  1871. 
Iremembsr  seeing  upon  one  of  the  coupons 
of  a  fanciful  ticket,  "Round  the  World," 
issued  by  the  Erie  Railway,  "Calcutta  to 
Bombay  (ls500  miles)  via  Allahabad  Junc- 
tion." The  latter  placs  sotmded  to  me  like 
a  mylh,  but  Mere  I  am,  and  fird 
the  "City  of  Allah,"  aa  the  name 
signifies,  a  very  substantial  reality. 
It  is  situated  about  cne  hundred  miles  above 
Benares,  at  the  goe Science  of  the  Jumna 
and  the  Ganges.  The  Hindoos,  from  time 
immemorial,  have,  considered  Allahabad  one 
of  the  most  sacred  places  in  India.  Here 
they  say  three  rivers  join.  Only  two  of  theee 
are  visible— the  third,  unseen  by  mortal 
eyes,  flows  direct  from  Heaven.  It  is  said 
that  over  two  hundred  thousand  pilgrims 
visit  this  spot  every  year.  When  a  pilgrim 
arrives,  he  sits  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  has  his  head  and  body  shaved  so  that 
his  hair  may  fall  into  the  water;  for  his 
sacred  writings  promise  him  for  every  hair 
thus  deposited  a  thousand  years  of  Para- 
dise. 

At  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers  is  a 
very  strong  fort,  built  three  hundred  years 
ago  by  Akbar,  one  of  the  Mogul  Emperors, 
when  the  Mohamedan  power  in  India  was 
in  its  glory.  The  walls  are  of  red  eand- 
stone,  and  2,500  Milts  in  circuit,  and  present  Ma  >  - . 
a  very  imposing  appearance.  It  is  thor- 
oughly armed  and  garrisoned,  and  one  of  the 
strongest  places  held  by  the  British  in  this 
country.    An  English  officer  very  politely 


156 


showed  me  through  the  fortress,  and  point* 
ed  out  the  vaults  where  all  the  Europeans 
of  the  station  took  refuge  during  the  mu- 
tiny of  1857,  where  many  fell  victims  to 
cholera  brought  on  by  pestilence  and  suffer- 
ing. Under  the  fort  is  a  curious  subterran- 
ean passage  which  the  natives  believe  runs 
all  the  way  to  B  snares.  I  penetrated  about 
two  hundred  feet  to  a  spot  where  a  sacred 
tamarind  tree  is  shown,  which  the  Hindoos 
eay  grew  in  this  very  place.  The  water 
trickling  from  the  roof  and  the  bad  air  made 
it  impossible  for  me  to  proceed  further. 
The  fort  contains  an  immense  quantity  of 
cannon  and  munitions  of  war,  and  large  re- 
pair shops  where  several  hundred  men  were 
at  work.  "Within  the  walls  was  once  the 
favorite  residence  of  Shah-Jehan,  but  all 
that  remains  of  his  beautiful  palace  is  the 
*'Hall  of  Akbar,"  a  magnificent  room,  two 
hundred  and  seventy-two  feet  long,  now 
used  as  an  armory.  Here  are  arranged 
with  great  taste  along  the  walls,  and 
through  the  center  of  the  hall,  over  50,000 
stand  of  arms. 

In  the  center  of  the  fort  stands  an  ancient 
monolith,  forty-two  feet  in  height  by  about 
three  in  diameter,  and  slightly  tapering  at 
the  top.  On  it  are  two  long  Sanscrit  in- 
scriptions, obviously  of  remote  antiquity, 
which  have  puzzled  the  most  learned  anti- 
quarians. The  popular  belief  is  that  it  is 
the  Club  of  Bhim  Sen,  a  hero  who  figures 
in  the  romantic  legends  of  Hindostan. 

Allahabad  has  a  population  of  about  one 
hundred  thousand  natives,  besides  many 
civil  and  military  officials,  being  the  cipital 
of  the  Northwestern  Provinces,  and  the 
junction  of  the  two  great  lines  of  railway 
connecting  Bombay  and  Calcutta.  It  is  in- 
creasing rapidly  in  business  and  importance, 
and  from  its  csntral  location,  healthy  cli- 
mate and  important  strategic  position  it  is 
predicted  that  it  will  some  day  become  the 
capital  of  British  India.  The  new  town  is 
laid  out  with  wide,  handsome  roads,  lined 
with  well-built  bungalows,  and  when  the 
trees  are  fully  grown,  which  are  planted 
along  the  avenues  and  so  essential  in  this 
hot  climate,  it  will  become  a  very  attractive 
place  of  residence. 

After  the  fort  the  most  interesting  sight 
is  the  Krusru  Garden,  which  adjoins  the 
railway  station.  This  garden,  or  pleasure 
ground,  is  surrounded  by  a  high  embattled 
wall,  and  is  five  hundred  feet  square.  In- 
side it  is  tastelully  arranged  and  cultivated, 
and  contains  some  very  fine  old  Mango  trees 


157 

of  immense  size.  In  the  centre  are  three 
large  stone  mausoleums,  surmounted  by 
marble  domes,  from  the  roof  of  which  is  a 
splendid  view  of  the  city  and  surrounding 
country. 

The  dining  room  at  the  Allahabad  Hotel 
is  very  lofty  and  opens  with  large  doors  to 
the  surrounding  gardens.  At  breakfast 
this  morning  I  heard  the  twittering  of  spar- 
rows, and  was  surprised  to  see  them  flying 
all  about  the  room,  so  tame  as  to  pick 
crumbs  from  the  hands  of  the  guests  at  the 
table.  E  very  where  in  India  I  have  remark- 
ed the  abundance  and  tameness  of  the  birds. 
It  is  part  of  the  religion  of  a  Hindoo  never 
to  kill  a  living  being  when  avoidable.  This 
is  carried  si  most  too  far,  when  applied  to 
wild  beasts  and  noxious  vermin,  but  it  soft- 
ens their  treatment  of  animals,  and  is  one 
ennobling  feature  in  their  system  of  idolatry 
and  superstition,  which  might  well  be  im- 
itated by  Christians. 

Another  hundred  miles  to  the  north  and 
we  reach  Cawnpore,  ever  memorable  as  the 
scene  of  the  most  barbarous  act  of  the  mu- 
tiny of  1857.  It  is  situated  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Ganges,  and  was  once  a  place  of 
considerable  importance  and  busy  traffic. 
It  is  now  a  large  military  station,  with  long 
ranges  of  barracks  and  store-houses,  and 
usually  several  regiments  of  troops  are  sta- 
tioned here.  I  presume  the  sad  story  of 
the  massacre  of  nearly  three  hundred  wo- 
men and  children,  and  the  casting  of  their 
bodies  into  a  well,  by  order  of  the  infamous 
Nana  Sahib,  is  familiar  to  most  of  my  read- 
ers. 

The  sudden  breaking  out  of  the  mutiny 
and  revolt  of  the  Sepoy  soldiers  in  May, 
1867,  found  the  government  qaite  unpre- 
pared for  such  an  emergency.  At  that  time 
there  were  no  railways  or  telegraphs  in 
Indis,  and  these  distant  stations  were  com- 
pletely isolated.  The  rebellion  broke  out 
simultaneously  at  several  points  and  spread 
like  wild-fi-e ;  and  in  a  few  weeks  the  whole 
northwestern  provinces  were  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  rebels.  The  East  India  Company 
had  an  army  of  about  two  hundred  thousand 
men,  of  whom  only  thirty  thousand  were 
English,  and  these  were  scattered  in  small 
detachments  over  an  immense  territory. 
The  native  troops  were  officered  by  Europe- 
ans, most  of  whom  were  instantly  dis- 
patched by  the  mutineers,  and  their  places 
supplied  by  natives,  who  displayed  consid- 
erable military  ability  during  the  struggle 
that   followed.    They   fought   with   ropes 


158 

round  their  neck*,  and  little  quarter  was 
given  on  either  side.  The  Sepoys  were 
well  drilled  and  disciplined  soldiers,  and 
amply  provided  with  cannon,  arms  and  mu- 
nitions of  war- 

Only  a  portion  of  the  native  troops  re  • 
volted,  and  in  several  provinces  the  judi- 
cious management  and  prompt  action  of  the 
civil  and  military  authorities  kept  them 
faithlul  to  the  EngMsh,  with  whom 
they  united  in  putting  down  the 
rebels.  Had  the  disaffection  been  general, 
and  any  unity  of  action  existed  among  the 
rebels,  every  vestige  of  British  rule  would 
have  been  swept  from  India. 

The  immediate  pretext  of  the  mutiny 
was  the  use  of  cartridges  greased  with  lard, 
which  the  Sepoys  were  compelled  to  bite 
off.  To  touch  "the  «nclean  animal"  was  to 
them  a  defilement  against  which  their  reli- 
gion revolted.  Fortunately,  though  both 
Masselmen  and  Hindoos  united  in  hating 
their  foreign  rulers,  they  bore  no  affection 
for  each  oth^r.  The  former  numbered  but 
one  in  twelve  of  the  native  population,  and 
aro  high -spirited  and  brave.  Their  ances- 
tors hsd  overrun  India  and  ruled  the  coun- 
try for  five  hundred  years  beior  e  the  En- 
glish acquired  poesession.  The  Kings  of 
Delhi  and  Oade,  with  many  less  powerful 
Rajahs,  still  retained  their  titles,  but  were 
only  nominal  cr  titular  princes,  keeping  up 
the  semblance  of  royalty,  but  in  fact  stipen- 
diaries, supported  by  the  allowances  made 
to  them  by  their  English  masters.  Jeal- 
ousy between  Mohamedans  and  Hindoos 
created  a  division  in  their  counsel?,  and 
made  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion  com- 
paratively easy. 

But  it  was  a  narrow  escape,  and  the  En- 
glish learned  a  lesson,  costing  them  dearly 
in  blocd  and  treasure,  which  resulted  in  a 
more  humane  and  loss  oppressive  system  of 
government,  under  which  the  country  is 
now  more  prosperous  than  ever  before. 

The  rebellion  broke  out  in  the  spring, 
and  during  the  awfully  hot  summer  that  fol- 
lowed it  was  very  difficult  for  the  Esglish 
soldiers,  sent  cut  to  Iadia  from  home,  to  re- 
lieve the  few  isolated  forts  that  held  out 
against  the  insurgents,  in  which  were 
crowded  all  the  English  residents  with 
tbpir  wives  and  children.  The  whole  coun- 
try from  Delhi  to  Calcutta,  more  than 
twelve  hundred  miles  in  extent,  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  rebels ;  and  in  Delhi,  the  an- 
cient capital,  a  de?C3ndant  of  the  Moguls 
was  proclaimed  Emperor  of  India.    Herein 


\JJB$5t\^F^ 


159 

Cawnpore  a  large  army  of  Sepoys,  com- 
manded by  Nana  Sahib,  besieged  the  hand- 
ful of  British  troops  and  half  caste  residents, 
and  forced  them  at  last  t9  surrender,  with 
the  promise  of  being  permitted  to  embark 
on  the  river.  But  before  they  could  leave 
the  shore  fire  was  opened  upon  them,  and 
only  two  escaped  alive.  In  another  part  of 
the  town,  where  several  hundred  invalid 
soldiers  and  women  and  children  were  col- 
lected, all  were  slaughtered,  and  their 
bodies,  yet  warm,  thrown  into  an  old  well. 

My  first  visit  in  Cawnpoie  was  to  this 
spot,  where  now  on  a  raised  mound  is  a 
beautiful  memorial,  erected  over  the  wcl'. 
It  consists  cf  a  high  stone  platform,  on 
which  stands  a  marble  statue  of  a  female 
with  wings,  designed  by  Baron  Marochetti. 
This  is  surrounded  by  a  stone  gothic  screen 
of  beautiful  design  and  workmanship.  Near 
by  are  the  tombs  of  those  who  fell  at  Cawn- 
pore during  the  mutiny.  There  are  many 
nameless,  grass-grown  mounds,  among 
which  are  shrubs  and  flowers.  The  keeper 
of  the  place  pointed  out  some  patches  of 
ground  where  the  grass  but  feebly  sprouted, 
aud  which  resembled  the  "fairy  rings"  one 
sometimes  sees  in  country  places,  and  said, 
"These  are  the  places  where  the  little  chil- 
dren are  buried,  the  grass  won't  grow  here 
if  I  water  it  ever  so  much.  It  seems  to  me 
as  if  the  curse  of  God  is  on  the  spot,  and  on 
the  men  who  committed  the  horrible  deed  " 
A  large  tract  of  ground  neatly  laid  out  and 
beautifully  kept,  called  the  Memorial  Qar  - 
den,  surrounds  the  spot,  and  no  native  is 
allowed  under  any  consideration  to  enter 
the  enclosure. 

From  Cawnpore  there  is  a  branch  road, 
forty- two  miles  to  Lucknow,  the  capital 
of  Oude,  which  contains  a  population  of  over 
300,000  people.  It  is  a  purely  oriental  city 
of  great  extent  and  very  picturesque  ap- 
pearance. More  properly  than  any  other 
place  in  India  it  is  entitled  to  the  name  of 
the  "City  of  Palaces. 

Approaching  the  city  from  the  railway 
station,  a  mile  distant,  the  picture  was  like 
a  dream  of  fairy  land.  Msjeetic  buildings, 
apparently  of  white  marble,  crowned  with 
domes  of  burnished  gold,  scores  of  pinna- 
cles and  minarets,  many  of  them  very  high 
and  graceful,  spacious  grounds  filled  with 
choice  shrubbery  and  flowers,  made  the 
first  impression  very  gratifying.  But  a 
nearer  view  destroyed  much  of  the  illusion. 
What  at  a  distance  seemed  the  purest  mar- 
ble turned  to  whitewashed  brick  and  plaster, 


and  burnished  gold  became  very  dingy  gilt. 
During  the  two  days  spent  there  I  visited 
many  very  interesting  places,  of  which  I 
have  space  for  only  a  slight  sketch.  With 
an  intelligent  native  who  spoke  good  Eng- 
lish for  a  guide,  I  drove  first  to  the  Dilkoo- 
shah  Palace,  or  "Heart's  D alight,"  an  im- 
posing, square  edifice,  with  Sinking  towers 
and  a  gilt  dome.  It  was  built  ty  Sadut- 
Ah'Khan,  and  was  a  favorite  country  resi- 
dence of  the  ladies  cf  his  harem.  The  en- 
trance ia  a  noble  portico,  as  high  a3  the 
buildiEg,  to  which  leads  a  grand  flight  of 
seeps.  This  place  was  the  headquarters  of 
Sir  Colin  Campbell's  force  at  the  final  at- 
tack and  capture  of  Lucknow,  duriEg  the 
mutiny. 

Not  far  from  the  Dilkooshah  is  a  whimsical 
pile  of  buildings  of  every  species  of  archi- 
tecture, exiled  the  "ilartiniere."  or  "Con- 
stantia."  The  front  is  adorned  with  ex- 
travagant figures  of  animals  and  gods,  enor- 
mous lions  with  gaping  mouths ,  and  lamps 
in  placa  of  eyes,  goddesses  with  shaking 
heads,  and  fantastic  figures  of  heathen  my- 
thology. This  building  was  erected  about 
seventy  years  ago  by  an  eccentric  French 
adventurer  named  Claude  Martine,  who 
came  out  to  India  as  private  soldier,  amassed 
immense  wealth,  and  died  a  M?JDr  General 
in  the  service  of  one  of  the  native  princes. 
He  left  five  hundred  thousand  pounds  ster- 
ling to  endow  schools  in  Lucknow,  Calcutta 
and  Lyons.  In  this  buildiEg  one  hundred 
and  eighty  boys  are  provided  wit  ha  good 
education  free  of  expense.  The  interior 
contains  seme  handsome  apartments,  with 
richly  ornamented  ceilings,  which  when 
new  must  have  been  strikingly  beautiful , 
but  now  they  are  diogy  and  defaced. 

From  "Constantia"  we  drove  to  "Secun  - 
der  Bagb,''  a  garden  one  hundred  and 
twenty  yards  square,  surrounded  by  a  high 
brick  wall  with  a  gateway.  It  wa3  laid  out 
by  one  of  the  eid  kings  of  Oade  for  his 
favorite  wife,  and  i9  now  inte;esting  as  the 
place  where  2,000  Sepoys  took  refuge  duiiEg 
the  siege.  A  break  was  made  in  the  wall, 
and  it  was  carried  by  storm,  and  the  rebels 
slaughtered  to  a  man. 

Ojlt  next  visit  was  to  the  "Kaiser  Bagfc,'' 
or  "Palace  of  Caesar,"  the  title  adopted 
by  the  Kings  of  Oude.  This  immense  pile 
of  buildings  is  of  marble  and  decorated  in 
the  mo-t  extravagant  manner.  It  was 
built  by  the  last  King  and  finished  in  1S50. 
The  co9t  is  said  to  have  been  eighty  lac3  of 
i upees,  or  forty  million  dollars.    Its   shape 


161 


is  that  of  a  series  of  quadrangles,  ap- 
proached through  nassive  gateways  of 
marble,  adorned  with  royal  emblems.  The 
courts  and  gardens,  fountains  and  paviilions 
must  have  presented  in  the  days  of  its  foun- 
der, a  truly  brilliant  spectacle,  surrounded 
by  all  gaudy  and  striking  appurtenances 
of  an  eastern  court,  which  knew  no  bounds 
to  its  extravagance. 

Two  other  splendid  pakc83  stand  upon 
the  banks  of  the  river,  one  of  which  is  called 
the  "Chutter  Munzil,'1'  from  the  gilt  wm- 
brellas  with  which  the  domes  are  crowned. 
This  sheltered  the  ladies  of  the  harem,  and 
is  now  used  as  a  club  house  and  a  public 
library.  In  the  other  is  a  very  interesting 
museum  of  natural  history  with  one  of  the 
most  complete  collections  of  Indian  animals, 
birds  acd  reptiles  in  the  world.  On  one  side 
of  the  room  I  noticed  a  series  of  the  skele- 
tons of  monkeys,  evidently  arranged  by  a 
believer  in  the  Darwinian  theory.  Com- 
mencing at  the  lowest  grade,  there  was  a 
gradual  rise  through  the  diffarent  species 
(the  tails  becoming  less  prominent)  up  to 
the  ourang  outang  and  gorilla,  and  the  series 
was  crowned  by  the  skeleton  of  a  man. 

Lucknow  has  the  credit  of  being  the 
original  source  from  whence  the  rebellion 
of  1857  sprang,  and  has  become  memorable 
as  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
sieges  on  record.  Here  in  a  building  called 
the  Besidency,  for  five  long  months,  during 
the  heat  of  summer,  a  little  band  of  noble 
hearts  held  out  with  unexampled  courage 
and  endurance  against  a  horde  of  well-armed 
and  ferocious  enemies.  Within  the  enclosure 
were  several  large  buildings  used  as  public 
offices,  and  surrounded  by  a  low  walh 
Close  outside  the  Eesidency  were  other 
buildings  occupied  by  the  rebels,  and  it  was 
wholly  unfit  for  defense  against  an  enemy 
provided  with  an  abundance  of  cannon  and 
skilled  in  the  use  of  arms.  The  ruins  have 
been  allowed  to  remain  as  far  as  possible  in 
the  same  state  in  which  they  were  left  after 
"the  relief."  The  buildings  were  terribly 
shattered  with  shot  and  shell,  and  every 
spot  has  a  sad  story  connected  with  the 
siege.  In  this  room  a  plate  on  the  wall 
shows  where  the  gallant  Sir  Henry  Law- 
rence was  mortally  wounded  by  the  burst 
ing  of  a  shell.  We  descend  here  into  the 
cellars,  where  the  women  and  children  and 
the  sick  were  driven  for  refuge  from  the 
hail  of  shot,  anu  where  so  many  died.  The 
roofless  buildings  stand  in  solemn  ruin, 
a  monument  alike  of  the  bravery  and  devo- 


162 

tion  of  that  handful  of  heroic  men  who  held 
it  so  long  against  overwhelming  numbers, 
and  of  the  self  denying  heroism  of  the 
women  and  children,  who  perished  uncom- 
plainingly in  its  cellars.  In  the  church 
yard  adjoining  which  is  kept  in  perfect 
order  and  beautifully  decorated  with  flower?, 
are  buried  those  who  perished  during  the 
siege. 

The  armies  under  Generals  Campbell  aEd 
Havelock  were  twice  repulsed  in  trying  to 
penetrate  to  their  relief,  and  the  garrison 
were  ready  to  despair,  when  the  fainting 
girl  raised  her  head  and  cried,  "Dinna  ye 
hear  the  slogan  ?"  Her  quick  ear  had  caught 
the  sound  of  the  bag-pipes,  and  the  familiar 
air  of  her  native  Highlands,  "The  Camp- 
bells are  coming." 

Upon  the  tomb  of  Sir  Henry  Lawrence  is 
the  simple  inscription,  "jHere  lies  Sir  Eenry 
Lawrence,  who  tried  to  do  his  duly."  About 
two  miles  from  Lucknow  on  the  Cawnpore 
road  is  the  Alumbagh,  formerly  a  garden 
pilace  of  the  King  of  Oude.  In  the  center  of 
this  garden  rest  the  remains  of  Sir  Henry 
Havalock,  "the  Christian  soldier."  A  plain 
stone  obelisk  marks  his  grave. 

The  atrocities  of  the  mutineers  at  Cawn- 
pore and  Lucknow  aroused  the  worst  pas- 
sions of  the  British  soldiers.  These  were 
the  deeds  of  a  race  of  half-civilized  pagans. 
By  what  name  can  we  call  the  horrible  cru- 
elties by  which  theee  deeds  W6re  avenged  ? 
For  every  English  victim  a  score  of  natives 
suffered  death.  The  horrors  of  blowing 
prisoners  from  the  mouth  of  cannon  have 
never  been  half  told.  When  all  civilized 
nations  were  shocked  at  the  barbarity  of 
these  proceedings  the  perpetrators  became 
cautious  about  mentioning  the  subject  to 
strangers. 

On  the  railway  between  Cawnpore  and 
Lucknow  I  met  a  "guard,"  who  was  an  offi- 
cer in  the  army  during  the  mutiny,  and 
from  whom,  by  judicious  questioning,  I 
drew  some  particulars  on  this  eubjsct.  He 
related  among  other  things  the  method  of 
execution.  It  was  a  string  of  helpless  men 
tied  In  front  of  a  cannon,  a  few  pounds  of 
powder,  and  that  was  all.  "A  very  simple 
method,  you  see,"  said  he.  "Did  they  sub- 
mit quietly?"  I  asked.  "Oh,  yes,  they  are 
all  fatalists  in  their  religion,  and  sometimes 
didn't  need  to  be  tied ;  but  I  remember  one 
keen-eyed  fellow,  who  cursed  me  as  I  was 
tying  him  up,  and  said  he  would  come  back 
as  a  crow  and  pick  out  my  eyes."  "How 
many  do  you  think  were  executed  here  and 


o 

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163 

at  Delhi?"  "Oh,  many  thousands.  We 
made  short  work  of  them.  Sir,  I  caught  a 
dozen  or  more  Sikhs  one  night  trying  to 
escape  from  the  camp  with  stolen  cartridges 
ia  their  knapsacks.  We  blew  them  to 
pieces  the  next  morning."  These  stories  of 
deliberate  barbarity  were  related,  as  he  sup- 
posed, to  a  sympathizing  auditor,  with  per- 
fect sang  froid.  These  atrocities  were  not 
confined  to  rebels  taken  with  arms  in  their 
hands,  for  very  few  prisoners  were  taken ; 
but  whole  villages  were  arrested  on  suspi- 
cion of  "aiding  and  abetting,"  and  thou- 
sands executed  with  a  mere  form  of  trial. 

I  heard  often  in  India  of  the  splendid 
"loot"  at  the  capture  of  Delhi;  and  in 
marching  through  the  country  the  soldiers 
could  hardly  set  eyes  on  a  native  prince  or  a 
Hindoo  palace  without  exclaiming,  "What 
a  place  to  "break  up!"  "What  a  fellow  to 
loot!"  It  is  plain  that  the  Danish- Anglo  - 
Saxon  still  has  the  taint  of  the  old  sea-king 
robbers  in  his  blood. 

It  was  a  maxim  of  the  Portuguese  Jesuits 
that  men  who  live  long  among  Asiatics  sel- 
dom fail  to  learn  their  vices,  and  this  is  often 
illustrated  here;  but  the  older  residents 
treat  the  natives  with  much  more  kindness 
than  new-comers,  especially  soldiers.  The 
pompous  young  sprigs  of  officers  who  have 
j  net  "come  out"  are  the  most  harsh  and  cruel 
masters.  In  some  hotels  I  noticed  the  sig- 
nificant notice,  "Gentlemen  are  requested 
not  to  strike  the  servants."  No  comment  is 
necessary.  W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  TWENTY-THREE. 

Approach  to  Agra— Cotton  Boats— The 
Sight*    of   Agra— The   Fort— Hall  cf 
Judgment— The   Sandal  Wood  Gates 
—    he    Emperor's    Palace— A   Mam- 
moth      Pachisi-Board— The       Peail 
Mosque— Secundra     Bagh— A   Fancy 
Team— Akbai's  Mausoleum— The  Taj 
—A  Thing  of  Beauty,  and  a  Wonder- 
ful  Echo— The  Taj  Seen    by    Blue- 
Lights— A  Persian  Description— Delhi 
—A   Great   Scoundrel— Visit    to   the 
Citadel— The  Hall  of  Audience— The 
Peacock  Throne— Chandnee  Chowk— 
The  Great  Mosque- A  Field  of  Anima- 
ted Poppies— Relics  of  Mahomet— "Bjr 
the  Prophet's  Beard"— The  Cashmere 
Gate -A  Gallant  Deed. 
Returning  to  Cawnpore  on  the  main  lire, 
I  took  an  early  morning  train,  and  in  teven 
hours    reached    Toondla    JurcvioD,    from 
whence  a  branch  road  runs  twelve  miles  to 
Agra,  the  once  famed   city  of  the  Emperor 
Akbar.    "What  wondrous  changes  have  oc- 
curred since  the  days  when  the  Mussulman 
dynasty  held  sway  over  these  rich  and  fer- 
tile countries,   where  now  speeds  the  all- 
civilizing  locomotive,  then  swept  by  the  de- 
vasting  hordes  of  Timour  the   Tartar;  and 
the  battalions  of  " Akbar  the  magnificent" 
in  all  the  pomp  ?nd   splendor  of  unbounded 
eastern  wealth,  delighted  the  eye,  as  struck 
terror  to    the  heart   of   the   worshipping 
thousands  who  flock  to  the  city  to  greet  the 
mighty  Emperor. 

Agra,  or  Akbarabad  as  it  was  formerly 
called,  stands  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Jum- 
na, and  in  the  days  of  its  splendor  the 
v*  hole  space  from  the  river's  bank  to  tue 
Fort,  is  said  to  have  been  covered  with  pal- 
aces, of  which  nothing  now  remains  but  the 
ruins.  Engaging  a  gharry  at  the  station 
after  much  chaffering  with  the  native  dri- 
ver, for  I  have  found  that  in  India  as  well 
as  elsewhere  in  the  world,  to  save  trouble  one 
must  always  make  a  bargain  before-hand 
with  a  Jehu,  and  never  agree  to  pay  above 
half  the  price  a&ked,  and  rescuing  ray  traps 
from  a  dozen  coolies,  all  of  whom  demanded 
bucksheesh,  I  took  refuge  in  the  vehicle 
from  a  crowd  of  beggars,  halt,  biind  and 
maimed,  and  drove  across  the  rickety  fljat- 


165 

ing  bridge  to  Beaumont's  Hotel,  within  the 
"civil  lines"  where  the  English  officials 
reside. 

Alongside  the  bridge  I  noticed  two  ele- 
phants fording  the  river  and  spirting  the 
water  about  with  their  trunks  in  great  glee, 
to  the  infinite  disgust,  it  seemed,  of  their 
black  drivers,  who,  seated  just  back  of  their 
necks,  prodded  them  on  with  their  iron- 
tipped  poles. 

Along  the  banks  of  the  rapid  stream  I 
counted  over  thirty  fhtboats  laden  with 
cotton,  their  bows  fastened  to  the  bank,  as 
one  sees  them  in  Memphis  or  Nashville. 
Their  freight,  brought  down  from  the  up 
country,  is  here  transferred  to  the  railway 
for  Calcutta  or  Bombay, 

The  three  principal  objects  of  interest  in 
Agra  are  the  Fort,  Akbar's  Tomb  and  the 
Taj,  the  last  named  built  by  Shah-Jehan, 
about  two  hundred  years  ago,  as  the  Mauso- 
leum of  his  favorite  wife  Noor  Jehan,  or 
the  "light  of  the  world,"  who  is  said  to  have 
been  of  surpassing  beauty.  (Here  let  m's 
say  that  in  Hindoostanee  words  the  letter  a 
always  has  the  broad  sound,  as  if  followed 
by  r.)  Besides  these,  at  Fettehpore,  twenty- 
four  miles  distant,  are  the  magnificent  ruins 
of  a  favorite  residence  of  the  Emperor 
Akbar,  which  he  deserted  at  the  instigation 
of  a  Mussulman  ascetic,  who  passed  for  a 
saint,  and  who  complained  that  his  devo- 
tions were  interfered  with  by  the  bustle  of 
a  city  and  the  gaieties  of  the  court.  Akbar 
therefore  built  the  city  of  Agra  upon  what 
was  then  an  unpeopled  waste.  The  court 
and  towns-people  removed  thither,  and 
Fettehpore,  with  a  massive  palace,  its  noole 
residences  and  its  deserted  streets,  remains 
to  this  day  a  monument  of  the  splendor  and 
wealth  of  its  founder,  and  a  testimony  to 
the  despotic  power  which  a  reputation  for 
sanctity  has  in  all  ages  conferred.  As  a 
journey  to  this  place  could  only  be  made  in 
a  Dak  Gharry,  and  would  occupy  two  days 
time,  I  left  it  oui  of  my  programme. 

My  first  visit  was  to  the  Fort,  the  wails  of 
which  built  of  huge  blocks  of  red  sandstone, 
are  sixty  feet  in  height,  with  macchiola- 
ted  battlements,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  in 
length.  It  was  considered  of  enormous 
strength  when  it  wa9  built,  three  hundred 
years  ago,  and  the  arrangem  ent  of  its  trav- 
erses, covered  passages  and  inner  bastions, 
every  approach  being  commanded  by  guns, 
shows  that  the  engineers  of  those  days  were 
well  skilled  in  the  art  of  fortification.  It 
contains  the  Arsenal,  Ak bar's  palace,  and 


166 


th3  celebrated  Motee  Mutjeed,  or  "Pearl 
Mosque."  Passing  through  a  noble  court- 
yard, five  hundred  feet  by  three  hundred 
and  seventy,  we  entered  a  splendid  hall, 
now  used  as  an  armory,  which  was  once 
the  de wan,  or  judgment  hall  of  Emperor 
Akbar.  In  a  recess  near  the  center  is  the 
throne  of  white  marble,  inlaid  with  mosaics. 
The  lofty  roof  is  supported  by  three  rows 
of  pillars  connected  by  saracenic  arche3  of 
great  beauty.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  hali 
are  the  celebrated  gates  of  Somnath,  cap  - 
tured  by  Lord  Ellenborough  in  the  A  Af- 
ghan campaign.  They  are  twelve  feet  high, 
very  massive,  and  composed  entirely  of 
sandal-wood,  elaborately  carved  and  inlaid. 

.Beyond  th9  Arsenal,  overhanging  the 
Jamna  is  the  Emperor's  palace,  still  in  tol- 
erable preservation.  In  the  galleries,  the 
balconies  and  the  corridors  is  a  perfect 
forest  of  carving  and  ornamentation— all  of 
the  finest  white  marble,  which  in  the  hands 
of  the  artists  of  those  days  seemed  as  tract,- 
able  as  wood.  Perhaps  the  greatest  curi- 
osity of  the  palace  is  the  Shish-Mehal,  or 
"Hall  of  Glass."  It  was  Intended  for  a  bath, 
and  the  walls  and  ceilings  are  covered  with 
thousands  of  small  mirrors,  arranged  in  ibe 
most  intricate  designs.  In  the  center  was  a 
marble  basin  into  which  mimic  cascades 
poured  from  the  walls.  "When  lighted  with 
colored  lamps  behind  these  tiny  waterfalls, 
the  fairy-like  chamber  must  have  realizd 
all  the  fable  splendors  of  Arabian  story 

In  a  tesselated  courtyard  of  white  and 
black  marble,  the  Emperoi's  favorite  gams 
of  Pachisi  used  to  be  played.  Each  square 
of  this  titanic  board  is  large  enough  for  a 
parson  to  stand  upon,  and  sixteen  little 
girls,  each  four  of  whom  were  dressed  in 
distinctive  colors,  ranlrom  square  to  square, 
in  accordance  with  the  throw  of  the  cow- 
ries or  dice. 

I  was  shown  the  curious  under  ground 
passage,  near  what  was  once  the  Zenana  or 
women's  apartments,  where  the  ladies  ot 
the  harem  played  hide  and  seek  before  the 
Emperor,  clad  only  in  the  garb  of  Eve.  At 
the  end  of  the  passage  is  an  old  and  veiy 
deep  well,  in  which  the  unfaithful  ones  were 
put  when  sentenced  to  death. 

The  remaining  object  ol  interest  in  the 
Fort,  is  the  Pearl  Mosque,  of  small  dimen- 
sions, but  absolutely  perfect  in  style  and 
proportions.  It  is  an  exquisitly  beautiful 
building,  surmounted  by  three  domes  of 
white  marble,  which  in  distant  views  of 
the  Fort  are  seen  like  silver  bubbles,  rest- 


If/; 


ing  for  a  moment  on  its  walls,  which  the 
next  breeze  may  sweep  away. 

Leaving  the  Taj  for  the  last,  I  drove  from 
the  Fart  eight  miles  down  the  river  to 
Secundra  .Bagh,  the  Mausoleum  of  the  great 
Emperor,  over  a  road  said  to  have  once 
been  lined  with  palaces,  the  ruins  of  which 
cin  be  seen  on  either  side.  On  tbe  way 
we  overtook  an  English  built  open  ba- 
rouche, drawn  by  apair  of  milk-white  oxen, 
whose  harness  was  decorated  with  geld  and 
silver  ornaments-  la  the  carriage  were  two 
wealthy  nabob?,  richly  dressed  and  wearing 
larg8  turbans  of  alternate  white  and  red 
tilk.  My  ambitious  Qhamwan,  who  ought 
to  have  known  better,  essayed  to  pass  this 
elegant  establishment,  but  soon  found  his 
mistake,  for  tbe  "cattle"  when  touched 
with  the  whip,  were  eff  at  a  pace  that  left 
our  sorry  steed  far  in  the  rear. 

The  tomb  of  Akb&r  stands  in  a  spacious 
garden,  entered  by  four  gatewayp,  seventy 
feet  high,  leading  to  a  stone  platform,  four 
hundred  feet  square,  on  which  is  a  splendid 
building  of  sandstone,  with  the  two  upper 
stories  of  marble.  In  a  vaulted  hall  in  the 
centre  of  this  structure,  which  is  five  stories 
high  and  three  hundred  feet  on  each  side,  is 
a  srmli  plain  sarcophagus,  en  whfci  is 
sculptured  a  wreath  of  n^wers.  Beneath  it 
is  the  dust  of  Akbar,  the  fourth  descendant 
from  lamanlane,  and  one  of  the  greatest 
men  who  ever  wielded  a  scepter.  Qa  the 
tap  of  the  building  under  a  gilded  dome, 
and  surrounded  by  screens  of  marb'e, 
wrought  into  patterns  of  marvellous  rich- 
ness and  variety,  stands  another  sarcopha- 
gus on  which  are  sculptured  in  raised  Ara- 
bic characters  the  ninety- nino  attributes  cf 
Allah.  This  splendid  tomb  perpetuates  no 
less  the  affection  of  the  builder,  Jehangen, 
the  son  of  the  Emperor,  than  the  greatness 
of  him  in  honor  of  whose  memory  it  was 
erected. 

Keturning  rapidly  to  the  city  we  drove  to 
the  T?j,  which  is  esteemed  the  most  beau- 
tiful building  in  the  world.  It  is  situated 
in  a  noble  quadrangle,  enclosed  by  lofty 
sandstone  walls,  and  approached  by  a  gate- 
way, itself  a  splendid  structure,  with  twen- 
ty«six  white  marble  cupolas.  The  grounds 
are  beautifully  laid  out  with  stately  trees, 
shrubs  and  flower  beds,  and  'kept  in  perfect 
order  at  tho  expense  of  the  government. 
The  firet  view  ot  the  T?j  is  obtained  as  you 
pass  the  gateway  at  the  end  of  a  long  avenue 
of  tall  cypress  tress.  Upon  a  platform  cf 
sandstone  is  raised  a  terrace  of  white  mar- 


16* 


ble  three  hundred  and  thirteen  feet  square, 
upcn  which  i3  the  beautiful  pile  Itself!  Its 
shape  is  an  irregular  cctagon ,  the  sides 
facing  the  four  cardinal  points,  in  which  are 
the  entrsrcss,  being  ab:ut  one  hundred  ard 
thirty  feet  long.  From  the  centre  of  the 
roof  springs  a  marble  dome,  expanding 
erandly  and  rising  to  a  height  of  eighty 
feet,  tipped  on  its  fumrait  with  a  silt  cres- 
cent-pointed spire,  two  hundred  sad  ninety- 
six  feet  from  the  basement.  At  each  of  the 
four  corners  nf  the  platform  i<?  a  minaret 
one  tuodred  ard  thirty-three  feet  high,  cf 
exquisite  proportion-,  and  the  smallest  pos- 
sible eiieomference  in  proportion  to  its 
height  m  Oa  either  side  of  the  Tsj  is  a  red 
sandstone  building,  with  loity  domes  and 
handsome  portals,  erected,  it  is  supposed,  to 
enhanc3  by  contrast  the  beamy  of  the  main 
building  User,  and  showing  a  more  than  re- 
gal disregard  of  east  in  order  to  secure  the 
greatest  possible  en\c. 

la  the  centre,  immediately  beneath  the 
dome,  are  two  sarcophagi,  side  by  side,  of 
Shah  Jehan  and  hi3  wife,  the  actual  tomb 
being  in  the  marble  basement  underneath. 
They  are  cf  the  purest  white  marble,  such 
as  is  said  to  be  now  unobtainable,  and  inlaid 
with  flDwers  in  a  mosvic  work  of  precious 
stones,  each  fliwer  being  a  woik  of  art  in 
itself.  The  cornelian,  aga'e,  blood-Etcroe 
and  lapis-lszuli  mostly  preva;l,  wrcuzht 
into  a  most  perfect  resemblance  in 
shape  and  size  of  the  lotus,  the  iris,  and  the 
tulip.  An  octagonal  screen  cf  trellis-work 
in  marble,  wrought  in  cpon  tracery  of  most 
intricate  design,  surrounds  the  tombs.  Upon 
the  cornice,  the  arches  of  the  doors  and  win- 
dows, and  along  the  entranco  passages,  are 
inlaid  in  black  marble, verses  irom  the  Koran  ; 
the  whole  book,  it  is  said,  being  ttu?  repro- 
duced upon  the  wtl!s  of  the  building. 

Under  the  dome  li  an  echo  30  sweet,  pure 
and  prolonged,  that  it  eeem3  almost  mar- 
velous. A  single  mu3icai  note  uttered  by 
toe  voici,  fl  )ats  and  soars  overhead  in  a  long, 
delicious  undulation,  fading  away  so  slowly 
and  iuipercaptibly  that  you  seem  to  hear  it 
after  it  is  silent.  I  listened  entranced  and 
amsz-datita  wonderful  eff:cr,  the  strains 
sweetly  prolonging  themselves  around  the 
high-arched  dome,  liko  the  harmonies  of 
angels  in  parsdise. 

D sending  a  sloping  marble  passage  from 
the  outside  near  the  main  entrance,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  crowd  cf  chatteiing  native 
guides  with  candles,  we  now  inspected  the 
actual  tomb  of  S'aah  Jehan  snd  his  beautiful 


169 

queen.  The  ccnotap  afcfcrare  marble,  pro- 
fusely inlaid  with  precious  stones,  and  in- 
scribed with  Persian  characters.  This 
chamber  has  no  light  but  that  reflected 
through  the  entrance,  which  falls  directly 
on  the  marble  tombs,  greatly  increasing  the 
solemnity  of  the  effect. 

Not  satisfied  with  having  seen  the  Taj  bv 
the  light  of  the  eua,  we  resolved  to  view  it 
again  by  night,  illuminated  by  blue-lights; 
and  it  would  have  been  a  loss  to  have  miss- 
ed this  aspect  of  the  wonderful  building. 
The  many  hangers-on  who  call  themselves 
"guardians,"  will  arrange  the  exhibition  for 
a  few  rupees.  Standing  mid  way  down  the 
long  garden  walk  we  witnessed  the  brilliant 
illumination  from  minarets  and  terraces,  the 
exquisite  outline  of  the  building  thrown 
into  striking  relief  on  the  dark  sky,  render  - 
icg  the  scene  almost  fairy-like,  as  in  an  in- 
stant, when  the  lights  weie  extinguished 
the  building  vanished  from  sight. 

Bishop  Heber  has  said,  "The  Pathans  de- 
signed like  Titans  and  finished  lik3  J3wel- 
ers  "  Great  as  are  the  dimensions  of  the 
Tsj  it  is  as  laboriously  finished  as  a  Chinese 
caEket  carved  in  ivory.  It  cost  fifteen  mil- 
lion dollars  and  was  twenty  years  in  build- 
ing. An  old  Persian  manuscript  gives  a 
mismte  description  of  the  T?j,  in  exaggera- 
ted Eastern  phraseology,  giving  the  quan- 
tity of  the  different  marbles  used,  the  names 
and  cost  of  the  various  precious  stones,  many 
of  which  wero  received  as  tributes  from  dif- 
ferent nations  under  the  Emperoi'd  rule; 
and  in  referring  to  its  origin,  says:  "Zoue 
was  its  author ;  Beauty  its  inspiration." 

Next  to  their  Mosques,  the  Mueeulmen 
conquerors  of  India  seem  to  have  delighted 
in  lavishing  wealth  upon  their  tombs.  It  is 
said  that  the  Tombs  of  the  Turks  and  Mo- 
guls form  a  complete  and  unbroken  series  of 
architectural  monuments  from  the  first  year 
of  the  Moslem  invasion  to  the  present  hour, 
la  no  country  of  the  world  do  we  find  such 
wondrousiy  beautiful  sepulcherF,  in  eueh  a 
perfect  state  of  preservation.  They  were 
built  to  last  for  all  time,  and  the  designs 
show  us  how  much  we  have  yet  to  learn  be- 
fore we  can  hope  to  rival  the  magnificence 
and  exquisite  beauty  found  in  the  Tombs 
and  Palaces  of  the  Mahometan  era. 

Leaving  Agra  with  regret,  and  looking 
often  back  at  the  beautiful  dome  of  the  Taj , 
which  can  be  seen  for  miles  away,  in  five 
hours  we  reached  Delhi,  the  famed  capital 
of  the  Moslem  Kings,  whic'i  is  situated  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Jumna,  one  thousand 


170 

and  nineteen  miles  from  Calcutta.  This 
place,  made  famous  by  the  posts  of  Hin- 
dostan,  whence  in  the  days  of  its  splendor 
iscutd  the  devastating  armies  of  the  Moguls 
obtains  on  its  site  the  ruins  of  ten  cities  of 
the  same  name,  having  been  captured, 
sacked,  destroyed  and  rebuilt  no  less  than 
eleven  times,  not  always  upon  the  same  ex- 
act spot,  but  extending  over  an  area  of  about 
forty  square  miles.  This  change  of  location 
was  caused  sometimes  by  the  total  destruc- 
tion of  the  old  towns,  sometimes  by  a  change 
in  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  sometimes  from 
the  ambition  of  sn  Emperor  who  wished  to 
build  a  more  splendid  residence.  For  wher* 
ever  the  King  bunt  his  fortified  palace,  the 
nobles  flrcked  around,  and  the  people  soon 
followed  for  the  protection  of  the  King's 
soldiers  against  the  robber  tribes. 

Modern  Delhi  was  built  about  two  hun- 
dred years  ago  by  the  Empsror  Shah  Jehan, 
and  is  enclosed  by  a  turreted  wall  five  and 
a  half  mile3  in  circuu,  and  is  approached 
through  twelve  strongly  fortified  entrances, 
the  principal  of  wh'c'i  are  known  as  the 
Cashmere,  Delhi,  Lahore  and  Calcutta 
gates. 

"We  arrived  in  Delhi  late  in  the  evening, 
and  had  the  choice  of  the  only  two  placf  s 
where  strangers  can  be  accommodated,  the 
Dak  Bangalcw  (or  government  caravan- 
serai,) and  the  'United  Service  Hotel." 
We  chese  the  latter,  which  wa3  under  the 
management  of  a  native  Bengalese,  whose 
name  gporoximated  in  sound,  "Barrabbas." 
He  proved  to  be  a  "thief  and  a  robber,"  and 
his  name  was  appropriate,  for  a  more  un- 
mitigated scamp  I  did  not  meet  in  Icdis. 
Smooth  as  oil  in  speech,  cringing  and  fawn- 
ing in  manner,  he  watched  over  us  as  birds 
for  his  ebpecial  plucking,  keeping  every- 
body away  except  those  who  would  pay  the 
highest  commission  on  our  purchases,  and 
coaxing  silver  rupees  out  of  us  which  he 
pretended  to  pay  as  buckshetsh  at  the  sev- 
eral places  we  vi6ited,  but  coolly  pocketed, 
giving  only  copper  p:'c3;  and  at  last  pre- 
senting a  bill  that  was  perf  ciy  stunning. 
In  fine,  "we  were  strangers  and  he  took  us 
in." 

Oar  first  vuit  on  the  morning  after  our 
srrival  was  to  the  citadel,  within  which  was 
the  pah co  of  theEnperor.  It  is  enclosed 
on  three  sides  by  a  high  wall  of  red  granite, 
the  fourth  side,  which  faces  the  river,  being 
the  wsl!  of  the  city.  The  Palace  and  Hall 
of  Auierc:,  though  now  shorn  of  their 
grandeur  and  partly  in  ruins,  attest  the  lav- 


I^^^HIi 


X 

c: 

C 


o 

X 
w 

as 
o 


171 

ish  decoration  and  beauty  which  once  made 
it  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  every  be- 
holder. The  ceiling  of  this  hall  was  once 
composed  entirely  of  gold  and  silver  filagree 
work,  and  the  walls  richly  ornamented 
with  gold  arabesque.  The  roof  jested  ot 
massive  square  marble  arches,  around  the 
cornice  of  which  is  the  inscription,  quoted 
by  Mcere  in  "lalla  RDokh:" 
1  'If  there  be  a  Paradise  on  earth  it  is  this,  it  is  this  " 

In  the  center  of  this  room  stood  the  fa* 
mous  •'Peacock  Throne, "  so  called  from  its 
back  being  formed  by  jaweled  representa- 
tions oi  peacocks'  tails.  It  was  composed  of 
gold,  studded  with  diamonds  and  precious 
stones,  and  its  value  was  estimated  by  Tave- 
nier,  a  Frenchman,  who  saw  it,  at  six  mil- 
lions of  pounds  sterling.  A  suite  of  apart- 
ments which  formed  the  Seraglio  and  royal 
baths,  overlooking  the  river,  were  partially 
restored  and  regilded  last  year  on  the  occa- 
sion of  the  visit  of  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh. 
In  etch  of  these  rooms  is  a  fountain,  and  the 
floor,  wails  and  ceiling  are  of  white  mar- 
ble, with  inlaid  borders  of  arabesque  de- 
signs. A  large  portion  of  the  palaca  has 
been  cleared  away  since  the  mutiny  to  make 
room  for  a  splendid  range  of  barracks  which 
have  been  built  far  the  European  troops. 

Leaving  the  Fort,  we  drove  through 
Chaudnee  Chowk,  ths  principal  street,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide,  a  mile  in 
lergth,  and  adorned  with  an  avenue  of  trees 
Hare  are  the  best  shops  and  several  build- 
ings handsomely  decorated.  In  front  of 
their  shops  stand  the  richly-dressed,  tur- 
baned  owners,  who  beseech  you,  in  Pareee- 
E  aglish,  to  come  in  and  inspect  their  wares. 
In  the  cool  of  the  evening  you  will  see  the 
native  merchant  in  the  narrow,  projecting 
balcony  espying  his  otium  with  a  hubble* 
bubble,  clad  in  a  most  invitingly  cool  disha- 
bille of  white  muslin.      _ 

A  canal  of  pure,  elesa  water,  brought 
from  the  hills  twenty  miles  distant,  flows 
through  the  centre  of  the  city,  adding  much 
to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  inhabitants* 

We  nexi  vi&ited  the  Jumna  Musjid,  the 
largest  and  finest  of  all  the  Mahometan 
temples  ia  India.  It  is  built  on  a  small 
rocky  eminence,  and  is  approached  on  three 
sides  by  noble  gateways,  to  which  lead  broad 
flights  of  step3.  I  a  the  center  of  the  open 
court  is  a  large  fountain,  around  which  a 
space,  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet 
square,  is  paved  with  blocks  of  white  marble 
three  feet  long  and  one  and  a  half  broad, 
each  being  surrounded  by  a  black  border. 


IrrL^e^ 


172 


At  the  regular  time  of  morula 2  or  evening 
devotion  one  can  see  four  or  live  thousand 
worshippers  in  this  vast  open  court,  each 
kneeling  upon  one  of  these  marble  squares. 
Their  flowing  white rebss  and  parti-colored 
turbans,  as  they  bow  with  perfect  uniform- 
ity towards  the  Kibla,  or  that  part  of  the 
building  which  indicates  the  direction  of 
Mecca,  have  a  mo3t  picturesque  eff:ct,  like 
a  field  of  immense  poppies  swept  over  by 
the  wind. 

From  the  comers  cf  the  Mosque  rise  two 
graceful  minarets  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  high,  inlaid  throughout  their  whole 
height  with  flatingg  of  white  marble,  and 
surmounted  with  the  usual  white  marbie 
cupalos.  The  view  from  the  summit  U 
magnificent.  The  vast  city  becomes  an  ant 
heap  at  your  feet,  and  you  instinctively 
peer  out  into  apace,  and  try  to  discern  the 
sea  in  the  direction  of  Calcutta  or  Bombay. 

As  we  descended  an  aged  and  remarkable 
looking  priest  led  us  to  one  corner  of  the 
mosque,  where  he  unlocked  a  strong  door 
and  took  from  a  chest  a  manuscript  volume 
carefully  wrapped  in  folds  of  silk.  It  was 
an  illuminated  copy  of  the  Koran,  said  to 
bs  seven  hundred  years  old,  It  is  in  Arabic 
and  the  color  of  the  ink,  evan  now,  a  bril- 
liant j3t.  He  handled  the  sacred  relic  with 
all  possible  reverence,  and  wss  unwilling 
that  our  vile  hands  should  touch  it.  He 
next  displayed  to  our  admiring  g£Z3  a  lock 
of  hair  frcm  the  Prophets  h*m&,  (bsing  the  yc^rA^ 
sort,  I  suppote,  by  which  the  Mussulmen 
swear,)  and  a  stone  upon  which  was  the 
print  of  hi3  foot.  This  last  relic  capped  the 
climax  and  we  laughed  outright,  which  so 
disgusted  the  old  fellow,  that  he  slammed 
down  the  lid  of  the  chest,  and  seemed  in- 
clined to  turn  U3  scoffing  unbelievers  out  of 
the  room.  But  the  sight  of  two  silver  ru- 
pees had  a  magical  effect  to  smooth  his 
scowling  brow,  and  he  salammed  us  to  the 
door  with  great  deference. 

Near  our  fcotel  was  the  famous  Cash- 
mere Gate,  where  the  British  troops  en- 
tered at  the  capture  of  Dilhi  in  1857.  The 
-tetek  then  made  yet  remains,  and  is  a  me- 
morial of  the  gallant  >y  of  the  two  soldiers, 
who  carried  the  bags  of  powder  along  the 
ditch,  piled  them  against  the  gate  and 
lighted  the  fuse,  with  not  one  chance  in  a 
hundred  of  escaping  the  bullets  of  the  be* 
sieged.  One  of  the  brave  fellows  was 
killed,  but  the  other  escaped  unhurt. 

W.  P.  F. 


NUMBER  TWENTY-FOUR. 

Indian  Cob  jurors— Making  a  Mango 
Tf ee  Grow  from  the  Seed— Hereditary 
Occupations  in  India— Snake  Charm- 
ers—Bit by  a  Cobra— Shopping  in 
Delhi— Shawl  Store  of  Manick  Chund 
— Ind  ian  Costumes  —  O  bser  vator  y — 
Mausoleums— The  Koontub  Minar— 
Legend  of  the  Iron  Pillar— Husna- 
yoon.'s  Tomb— The  Last  of  the  Moguls 
—A.  Sam  Patch  Leap— Memorial  of  a 
Wicked  Old  King— One  of  the  Results 
of  Polygamy— "Laying  a  Dak"— The 
Horse  Dak  of  India- Unique  Style  of 
Traveling— Tame  Squirrels  and  Birds 
—The  Mohun  Pass— "Sudden  Death" 
for  Chickens— Drawn  by  Coolies— 
"Wilin?  the  Hours  by  Cheerful  Dis- 
course" of  Man-Eating  Tigers— A  ruve 
at  Deyra* 

Delhi  is  famous  for  the  skill  ©f  her  con- 
jurors and  snake  charmers;  and  isarrabbas 
arranged  for  an  exhibition  to  come  off  after 
our  late  dinner.  There  were  yet  three  hours 
of  daylight  and  we  ranged  ourselves  in  a 
semi  circle  on  the  porch  of  the  hotel— a 
small  and  select  audience  of  five  persons— 
with  an  indefinite  number  of  natives  in  the 
background,  The  chief  performer,  a  thin, 
wiry  native,  with  keen  and  restless  black 
eyes,  Fquatted  on  the  stone  pavement  in 
front,  flanked  on  either  side  by  his  wife  and 
sister.  Their  entire  apparatus  consisted  of 
a  few  bowl?,  pipes,  boxes  and  wicker 
basket?,  most  rude  in  construction  and  not 
suggestive  of  any  marvelous  mechanism. 
And  yet  our  conjurers  went  through  with  a 
most  astonishing:  series  of  tricks,  some  of 
which  would  b£  ill  3  even  Hermann,  the  pres- 
tidigitateur.  A  constant  fire  of  word3  was 
kept  up  in  Hindoostanee  between  the  per- 
formers, which  seemed  a  sort  of  by-play, 
connected  with  the  various  tricks,  and  wss 
translated  by  Barrabbas.  Besides  the  ordi- 
nary performances,  such  as  swallowing 
swords,  knives,  and  nails,  and  afterward 
drawing  a  complete  "old  junk  shop"  from 
his  mouth,  smashing  our  watches  and  burn- 
ing up  our  handkerchiefs,  which  were  after- 
ward returned  unhurt  to  our  pockets,  the 
performer  drank  a  mixture  of  three  pow- 
ders—red, white  and  blus— in  a  glass    of 


174 

water,  and  immediately  afterward  produced 
the  three  powders  in  a  dry  state,  sepa- 
rately, from  his  mcuth.  The  formula  often 
repeated  was  "ek-do-teen,  choulon,"  (one, 
two,  three,  lock  sharp,  sister,)  a  rolling  up 
of  the  eyes  and  pretended  appeal  to  Vishnu, 
Shiva  and  Buddha,  when  a  difficult  trans- 
formation was  about  to  take  place.  But  the 
mest  wonderful  thing  was  making  a  mango 
tree  grow  from  the  seed,  which  he  planted 
in  a  pot  of  earth  before  our  eye?.  A  trick 
which  I  think  has  never  been  performed  out 
of  Icdia.  These  things  and  many  others, 
showing  wonderful  skill  in  the  conjuring 
art,  were  done  in  broad  daylight,  within  a 
few  feet  of  us,  and  in  the  absencs  of  the 
usual  mechanical  contrivances  of  staga  ex- 
hibitions. 

All  occupations  in  the  East  are  heredi- 
tary—even '-beggars"  and  "robbers."  la 
the  last  census  returns  of  the  north-western 
Provinces,  2000  are  set  down  as  "heredi- 
tary buffoons  and  corjurers,"  and  1100  as 
"snake  charmers"— and  most  curious  of  all, 
6;ST2  are  returned  as  "poets."  I  saw  an  ex« 
hibition  of  snake  charming  in  Benare?, 
which  had  almost  a  spice  of  tragedy  in  it. 
The  performer  opened  out  his  stock  in  front 
of  the  Bungalow,  where  we  were  sitting, 
consisting  of  a  boaccnstrlclor,  ten  or  twelve 
feet  long  and  as  large  round  as  my  arm,  two 
lively  cobras,  the  most  deadly  of  snakes,  and 
a  variety  of  scorpions  He  teased  the  cobras 
until  they  raised  their  hissing  heads  two 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  with  distended 
hoods,  and  quivering  tongues,  repeatedly 
struck  at  the  man's  hand.  Not  drawing  it 
away  quick  enough  he  was  bitten  by  the 
snake  on  the  fore  linger,  and  a  drop  of  blocd 
appeared  en  the  wound.  The  man  took 
from  his  pecket  a  small,  black  stone,  lock 
ing  like  a  bean,  and  pressed  it  for  a  mo- 
ment on  the  wound  to  which  it  adhered, 
and  went  on  with  his  exhibition.  Then 
taking  a  small  bit  of  lght  colored  wocd,  he 
held  it  toward  the  cobras  and  they  instantly 
slunk  back,  as  if  terrified  and  completely 
cowed ;  another  piece  of  wood  had  the  same 
effect  upon  the  scorpion?.  A  rupee  paid  the 
snake  charmer  and  secured  for  me  the  two 
bits  of  wood  and  the  little  stone,  which  I 
brought  away  as  mementos. 

Oar  hotel  was  literally  beseiged  by  a  host 
of  itinerant  venders  of  the  specialties  of 
Delhi.  They  tried  to  get  across  to  us  by 
bribing  Barrabbas,  who  made  a  good  thing 
out  of  the  ten  to  twenty  per  cent,  on  all  our 
purchases,  which  of  course  came  out  of  our 


pockets.  Most;  of  these  venders  are  pro- 
prietors of  shops  in  the  Chandnee-Chowd, 
acd  bring  quantities  of  Cashmere  shawls, 
Delhi  embroidery,  paintings  and  jswolry 
for  ycur  inspection,  some  of  which  are  very 
tempting.  Oace  admitted  to  your  room, 
before  you  have  time  to  forbid  them,  these 
men  will  have  opened  their  bundles,  and 
displayed  before  your  now  longing  eyes  tho 
most  exquisite  fabrics  of  every  color  of  the 
rainbow ,  covered  with  the  finest  embroid- 
ery in  gold,  silver-thread  and  silk.  If  there 
should  be  any  ladies  in  your  party  you  may 
as  well  surrender  at  once,  only  stipulating 
for  enough  to  be  left  in  yaur  purse  for  the 
expenses  to  Bombay;  for  the  beautiful 
opera  cloak?,  ravishing  Cashmere  shawls, 
sandalwood  gaisricgs,  and  miniature  paint- 
ings on  ivory,  gold  and  silver  filagree  orna- 
ments, with  which  you  find  yourself  sur- 
rounded would  tempt  an  anchorite,  or  any 
other  hater  of  the  pomps  and  vanities  of 
life.  The  pric3S  asked  are  of  course  very 
different  from  what  i3  gladly  taken  after  a 
half  hour's  bargaining;  but  it  is  a  very  un- 
safe method  of  purchase,  unless  one  knows 
the  actual  value  of  the  goods,  for  although 
you  may  get  the  article  at  half  the  price 
first  demanded,  you  are  by  no  means  certain 
that  you  have  made  a  good  bargain. 

There  are  one  or  two  shops,  however, 
where  the  prices  asked  are  the  fair  market 
value,  and  to  these  the  traveler  in  search  of 
genuine  articles  should  go  direct.  At  the 
shawl  store  of  Manick  Chund  we  were 
shown  up  a  narrow  and  steep  flight  of  steps 
to  a  small  room,  opening  on  one  side  to  the 
court,  and  on  the  other  to  a  narrow  balcony 
overlooking  the  street.  Chairs  having  been 
provided  for  us  by  the  proprietor  and  his  as- 
sistants, he  unlocked  a  door  leading  into  a 
large  closet,  and  brought  out  a  bundle,  like 
a  peddler's  pack,  tied  up  in  white  cloth. 
When  untied  we  fouad  this  contained  about 
twenty  cashmere  shawls,  worth  from  five 
hundred  to  one  thousand  rupees  each. 
These  were  held  up  for  our  inspection,  one 
after  another,  then  pushed  away,  and  an- 
other bundle  brought  out,  exhibited  to  us 
and  thrown  aside  in  the  most  careless  man- 
ner. Bundles  of  bernouses  and  jackets  of 
cashmere  cloth  and  velvet,  most  beauti- 
fully embroidered  in  silk  and  gold,  chogas, 
or  loose  dressing-gowns  for  gentlemen, 
smoking  caps,  table  covers,  etc.,  until  the 
floor  was  two  feet  deep  in  a  confused  litter 
ot  the  richest  dry  goods  I  ever  saw.  To  my 
unsophisticated  eyes  these  ravishing  "cam- 


17C 


eW  hair"  shawls  are  nothing  near  so  hand- 
some as  the  imitations  made  in  England 
and  France.  They  are  neither  smooth  nor 
glossy,  and  suggested  the  idea  of  having 
been  washed,  but  not  ironed.  But  my  judg- 
ment on  dry  goods  nad  been  laughed  at  so 
many  times  that  I  had  lost  all  confidence  in 
it,  and  under  the  instruction  of 
the  ladies  of  cur  party,  who  were 
familar  with  Stewart's  stock,  I  soon 
began  to  admire  them.  They  are  not  made 
of  "camels  hair"  at  all,  but  of  wool  ot  the 
Cashmf  re  goat;  each  shawl  being  composed 
of  many  pieces,  woven  by  different  fami- 
lies, perhaps,  and  the  labor  of  months.  They 
are  sewed  very  nicely  together,  the  skill  of 
blending  colors  being  something  marvelou?, 
and  cin  be  altered  and  changed,  in  borders 
and  centre?,  and  washed  and  mussed  up 
without  damage.  la  the  East  the  wealthy 
natives  do  not  wear  them  over  the  should- 
ers,  but  male  and  female  alike,  tie  them 
around  their  waist.  In  India,  dress  serves 
the  purpose  of  denoting  rank.  The  peasant 
is  clothed  in  cotton,  and  the  prince  in  cloth 
of  gold ;  and  even  religion,  caste  and  occu  - 
pation  are  distinguished  by  well  known 
and  urchanging  marks  in  co?tumes.  The 
fixity  of  fashion  is  as  singular  in  Hindoo* tan 
as  its  infinite  changeableness  in  New  York 
and  Paris.  The  pattern  we  see  in  the  brziar 
to-day  are  those  which  were  popular  in  the 
dsys  of  ShahJehan.  Hindoo  workmen, 
though  of  the,  lowest . class,  possess  such 
wonderful  tastel&S  o*MflTr"f^  that  their  com- 
monest productions  are  like  poems  in  silk 
and  velvet,  which  seems  to  prove  the  say- 
ing, that  the  finest  taste  is  consistent  with 
the  deepest  slavery  of  body  and  mind 
Dress  with  the  Oriental  is  an  art,  and  a 
Hindoo  will  never  wear  a  robe  or  a  turban, 
the  ornamentation  of  which  is  not  consist 
ent  with  his  idea  of  symmetry  and  grace. 

The  expensive  amusement  of  shopping  in 
bazaar  and  hotel  relieved  the  monotony  of 
sight  seeing  for  the  first  two  days  in  Delhi. 
Early  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day  we 
started,  under  the  guidance  of  Barrabbas, 
for  an  excursion  to  the  many  interesting 
places  outside  the  city  walls.  Emerging  by 
the  Ajmere  gate,  a  half  hour's  ride  brought 
us  to  the  observatory  of  Jai-Swgh,  the 
fcientific  Rajah  of  Jeypore,  who  erected  a 
similar  establishment,  alluded  to  in  a  former 
letter,  at  Benares.  The  buildings  are  unin- 
habited, and  in  a  very  dilapidated  condi- 
tion. Three  miles  further  wo  reach  the 
Mausoleum  of  the  Grand  Vizier  of  the  Em- 


177 


peror  and  Viceroy  ot  Oudc,  erected  about 
one  hundred  years  ago.  15  is  a  va&t  struct- 
ure, occupying  the  center  of  a  large  en- 
closure. Under  the  marble  dome  is  an 
elegantly  carved  sarcophagus,  but  in  accord- 
ance with  the  wish  of  the  deceased  the  grave 
is  in  a  vaulted  chamber,  beneath,  of  plain 
earth  covered  with  a  c'.otb,  on  which  were 
6trewn  fresh  flowers. 

Eleven  miles  from  the  city  we  reached  the 
famous  Koontub  Minar,  which  had  been  in 
sight  for  an  hour  before  we  reached  it,  and 
is  sud  to  be  the  loftiest  column  in  the 
world.  It  is  built  of  red  sandstone  almost 
as  hard  as  granite,  in  five  stories,  narrow- 
ing gradually  from  fifty  feet  in  diameter  at 
the  base  to  twelve  feet  at  the  top.  A  pro- 
j  acting  balcony,  supported  by  heavy  stone 
brackets,  separates  each  story,  and  on  hori- 
z  intal  bands  extending  around  the  tower, 
are  passages  of  the  Koran  carved  in  bold 
relief.  Its  present  height  is  two  hundred 
and  forty-two  feet,  but  it  was  originally 
sixty  feet  higher ;  the  top  canopy  having 
baen  struck  by  lightning  some  few  years 
ago.  The  Kcontub  was  built  about  seven 
hundred  years  ago,  and  from  the  chaos  of 
legends  and  superstitious  chronicles,  it  is 
difficult  to  tell  the  real  origin  of  this  famous 
structure.  Oae  legend  is  that  it  was  erected 
by  the  R?jah  of  Prithie  for  a  favorite 
daughter  who  desired  to  possess  a  tower 
with  its  top  nigh  to  heaven,  frcm  which  she 
might  offer  up  her  prayers. 

From  the  summit,  to  which  we  ascended 
by  a  spiral  stone  staircase,  a  most  superb 
view  of  the  surrounding  country  is  obtained. 
Immediately  below  lie  picturieque  ivy- 
covered  ruins  surrounding  the  tower,  while 
scattered  in  masses  for  miles  around  are 
eeen  the  ruins  of  the  old  cities  of  Delhi. 

Adjoining  the  Koontub  are  extensive 
Hindoo  remains  that  date  back  to  the  ninth 
century.  The  open  colonnades  which  once 
surrounded  the  E^jah'd  palace  are  so  orna- 
mented with  Severing  that  not  an  inch  of 
plain  surface  can  be  seen.  In  front  of  a  tall, 
wide  spanning  arch,  covered  with  creeping 
plants,  stards  a  curious  pillar  of  wrought 
iron,  sixteen  inches  in  diameter  and  twenty- 
two  feet  in  height  above  ground,  and  as 
much  more  in  depth  below  the  surface 
This  pillar,  a3  the  Hindoos  believe,  was 
erected  by  the  Rajah  who  built  the  Koon- 
tub, by  advice  of  the  Brahmins,  as  he  diead- 
ed  the  fall  of  his  dynasty,  and  was  assured 
that  if  he  could  pierce  the  head  of  the  snake 
god  who  supported  the  world  his  kingdom 


171 

would    endure   forever.      Ee    accordingly 

sunk  the  shaft,  and  his  priestly  advisers 
told  him  it  was  "'all  right."'  Eut  he  was 
skeptical,  end  against  the  advice  of  the 
priests,  had  the  pillir  raised,  when  they 
found  the  end  covered  vriih  blc-od,  to  the 
great  consternation  of  the  sovereign,  *ho 
was  then  told  that  the  scepter  would  seen 
pass  away  from  the  Hindoos.  He  checked 
the  pillar  back  in  the  ground,  but  tee  ser- 
pent b^low  had  had  enough  of  cold  irct, 
and  the  charm  was  brcken.  The  B  jah 
soon  af:er  lost  his  life  and  hh  kingdom,  and 
from  that  day  to  this  no  Hindoo  king  has 
ever  ruled  in  DdhL 

After  a  lunch  at  the  government  £  . 
low,  si  Cited  in  a  grevs  which  seemed  a.ive 
with  b'res  of  brilliant  plumsge,  we  started 
homeward,  stopping  at  several  interesting 
places  on  cur  w^y.    Oie  of  the  gra 

■jea  in  the  neighborhood  is  the  Tomb 
of  the  Eapnot  Humayocc,  wqo  was  the 
first  of  toe  Grand  Moguls  buried  in  India. 
The  shape  of  the  building  is  an  octagon,  of 
the  usual  red  ssndi-'oue.  most  artistically 
picked  cut  in  relief  vrith  while  marble.  At 
a  distance  it  has  the  appearance  of  delicate 
inlaying.  It  stands  in  the  center  cf 
an  enclosure  cf  abcut  twelve  acre1,  and  ii 
npoa  a  dcubie  platform,  or  terrsce, 
;:e  upper  one  two  hundred  and  eiahtv  feet 
Y.u  enter  the  building  through  a 
vast  porch,  with  a  pointed  arch  forty  feet 
high,  and  in  the  center  is  an  octagonal  dome 
of  marble  forty-fiye  feet  in  diameter  and 
eighty  feet  high.  Here  are  the  sacrophagi 
of  the  Emperor,  his  wife  and  children;  the 
sctual  graves  being,  as  usual,  below  in  ihe 
vault?.  B?  s  store  staircase  in  the  thick- 
the  walls  we  a-cenced  to  a  gailery, 
from  which  spring?  the  buge  dome,  and 
looked  down  the  giddy  depth  into  the  vast 
hail  beneath.  The  wall  of  the  dome  is 
eleven  feet  thick,  and  covered  with  slabs  of 
pure  white  marble.  Thtugh  ever  three 
kindled  years  c!d  mis  splendid  mausoleum 
is  in  admirable  preservation,  and  impressed 
me  as  a  woncerful  masterpiece  of  a  by-gone 
sge. 
It  was  to  Humiycoi'i  tomb  that  Baha- 
-t  of  the  Moguls,  fl*d  with 
nig  sons  and  hid  themselves,  afc^r  the  cap. 
ture  of  Delhi  in  S?ptember,  1S57.  They 
gave  themselves  up  the  nest  day,  being 
promised  that  their  lives  should  hi  spared; 
out  on  their  way  to  Delhi,  the  two  older 
princ.s  w^e  barbarcusly  shot  by  Major 
Hcdflon.    Ihe  spot  where  this  tragedy  oc- 


■:ji 
M 


IHI    KOOTI'B   II1NAK 


179 

curred  was  afterwards  poised  out  by  our 
guide.  The  King  and  his  two  younger 
eons  were  transported  to  Rangoon,  where 
he  died  about  two  years  ago. 

In  the  neighborhood  are  sevsral  smaller 
tombs  and  mosques,  one  of  which  is  built 
around  a  large  tank,  forty  feet  deep.  While 
we  were  standing  at  the  water's  edge,  a 
man  suddenly  appeared  on  top  of  the  mosqup, 
ran  nimbly  down  the  course  of  the  dome, 
and  sprang,  feet  foremost  into  the  tank  be- 
low. Several  others  followed  in  rapid  suc- 
cession, and  swimming  quickly  to  the  back, 
held  out  their  hands  for  buckshees;  then 
clambered  up  again  to  repeat  tbe  perform- 
ance. It  appeared  to  us  a  very  dangeroua 
feat,  for  the  height  could  not  have  been  less 
than  one  hundred  feet,  and  the  water,  sur- 
rounded by  tall  buildings,  was  very  cold : 
but  they  seemed  to  erpy  the  plunge  bath 
and  kept  it  up  as  long  as  we  threw  them 
coppers. 

Here  is  also  the  tomb  of  the  poet  Chusero, 
the  reputed  author  of  the 4 'Arabian  Nights," 
who  died  in  the  fourteenth  century.  Look- 
ing through  the  open-work  marble  screen,  I 
Saw  upon  the  tomb  a  handful  of  rose  leaver, 
some  of  which  I  secured  as  a  memento. 

About  two  miles  from  the  D3lhi  gate  we 
came  to  the  massive  ruins  of  a  palace  built 
by  the  Emperor  Ferose,  four  hundred  years 
ago,  which  was  then  the  center  of  his  capi  - 
tal  city.  Near  it  is  a  pillar  three  and  a  half 
feet  in  diameter,  and  forty  feet  high,  of  red 
sandstone,  without  a  joint,  called  the  Lat,  or 
staff  of  Ferose- Shah.  It  was  brought  here 
by  that  Emperor,  and  is  covered  by  an  in- 
scription so  ancient  that  it  puzzled  for  a 
long  time  the  most  skilled  European  savans. 
It  has,  however,  been  deciphered  recently, 
and  proves  to  be  certain  edicts  in  farther* 
arc3  of  religion  and  virtua,  enacted  by  a 
king  who  reigned  B.  C.  320.  This  king  ob- 
tained his  throne  by  the  murder  of  ninety  of 
his  relations,  who  had  prior  claims,  and 
must  have  changed  his  character  in  his  old 
age.  The  column  is  at  least  2,200  years  old, 
and  is  supposed  to  be  the  most  ancient  writ- 
ing in  India. 

The  records  of  these  old  Musseiman  Kings 
are  rarely  free  from  the  murders  of  rela- 
tions, especially  brothers.  They  were, 
however,  but  half  brothers,  and  the  jealousy 
and  ambition  of  the  mother  often  iDStigated 
the  killing  or  putting  out  of  the  eyes  cf  the 
sons  of  her  rivals  who  were  constantly  plot- 
ting against  the  successful  aspirant  to  the 
throne. 


>'."' 


We  left  Diihi  with  a  'left-headed 

ing"  for  Batrrabbas,  and  at  midnight  found 
ourselves  at  S:\ir\.-.p?ri,  s  station  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  miles  farther  north,  where  we 
took  a  dsk  gharrv  the  next  morning  for 
Bsjjore,  hfty  m'cs  ik-t  ant.  Beer  the  foot 
hills  of  the  E.n: : 

mountain?  in   the   world,  which  form  the 
"backbone*'  of  the  continent  of  Ail  a. 
The  arraagHMMki    for    our   *  '":   - 
:..-7-  of  horses  si:n^  c'.e  rcut?  to  the  Htm- 

M  Ha  day?,  were  rnaie  wi:h  t^e  hotel 
keep?'.  ::;k."      A'l 

our  heavy  luggage  ws- 
cur  re:  we  st sited  en   the    ei 

tionin  *«light  marchicg  order.*'    The  horse, 
rf  Northern  liar  an 

institution,  that  it  merit;  a   shei 
tion.    Like  the  gharry  it  i3  a  square 
f  ed  van.  wi  i    -  .    i ■  .  . 

I:  accommodates  two  persons  sid  is 
Dp  for  continuous  lay  '..  The 

space  between  the  scats  is  '-floored  over," 
and  covered  with  a  thin  mattress,  ever 
md  resa'-s,  or  thick  act- 
ion wnddbd  quilts,  an  i  roswls 
aid  sundry  '-wrap?.'  2  ac  our  ene 
an  J    ni  -,  :-                  .    comfortati:.       Tie 

with 
bamboo,   which    :  ,  ?  ■-:<  l\    tut 

does  not  in 
road  is  are    wound 


-  _  -  .\ : t :  ■:  l  ■:  : ,    c  ■  -     c.    . :  :  : .    1 1  e  c  I B  E  t 

b  am  boo 
to  the    -  c,  and 

projecting  severs:  teet  on  000  s;d>  of  the 
cat.     1 
broken,  and  can  rareii 

each  whes  .  and  two  more 
_  at  their  bits.      Bat  when  they  do 
go,  it  Is  with  a  :_  . . 

bean-legged   rem  t    shoaling  and 

emcknej  Ik  erhi]  the  hangers  on 

taein  voice-.  This  break-n-: . .  ■  kept 

up  utfl  the  nEx 

In  this  style,  after  Jever^. 
rtenhul  away  for  the  bungalow  at  Sah*  a 

■tttaBnefjinBd^Chnddy-LalJ,'*  a  na- 
tive servant  whom  mv 
from  C 

irir  life. 

Before  the  day-  -sys  tbiswasthe 

universal  mt  Errore^n^ 

in  India:  in-    &J  the   dak:    ce-n    to    hav  = 


181 


come  down  from  a  past  generation,  where 
they  have  figured  in  such  trifling  incidents 
as  breakdowns  and  "spills,"  which  even 
now  are  not  of  un frequent  occurrence  and 
give  a  zest  to  the  unique  style  of  convey- 
ance. 

The  stations  are  stout  six  miles  apart, 
and  we  maise  good  time,  for  the  horses  are 
seldom  allowed  to  hold  up  from  the  sharp 
canter  into  which  they  were  started,  except 
when  we  approached  the  river-channels, 
which  at  this  season  are  nearly  dry,  but  are 
frequently  flooded  by  sudden  storms, 
and  by  melted  snow  frcm  the  Himalayas, 
when  all  communication  is  stopped  for  days. 
Before  passing  one  of  these  places  the  horses 
are  always  taken  out,  and  bullocks  har- 
nessed to  the  dak,  for  the  horses  would  ba 
sure  to  "balk"  in  the  middle  of  the  stream, 
or  in  ascending  the  steep  aclivity  on  the 
ot^er  side. 

Our  road  was  ever  a  smooth  plaic,  and 
the  novelty  and  excitement  of  our  convey- 
ance, added  to  the  cool,  refreshing  breeze 
sweeping  down  from  the  mountain  peaks, 
which  in  the  dim  distance  ahead  seemed 
fleecy  white  clouds,  produced  an  exhilara- 
tion like  champaign.  Along  the  road  in 
front  of  the  dak  the  ground  squirrels  trooped, 
ana  birds  without  number  hopped  fearlessly 
by  our  side,  while  paroquets,  brilliant  in 
blue  and  red  plumage,  weve  perched  on  thn 
trees  gnd  gave  us  sidelong  glances,  as  if 
amused  and  edified  at  our  songs  and  laugh- 
ter. 

Bsfore  noon  we  reached  the  entrancs  of 
the  Mohun  Pass,  and  halted  for  three  hours 
at  the  government  bungalow,  which  is 
located  on  the  summit  of  a  high  hill,  com- 
mandiug  a  beautiful  view  of  the  plain  over 
which  we  had  passed.  The  native  Kliansa- 
mah,  the  genius  of  the  place,  provided  an 
excellent  dinner,  though  his  bill  of  fare  was 
not  very  extensive.  The  omelet  was  deli- 
cious, and  the  "sudden  death"— a  fowl 
which  we  heard  cackling  in  the  yard  as  we 
drew  up,  and  served  up  half  an  hour  after- 
ward in  a/ncasee,  as  appetizing  as  Delmon- 
ico'e— together  with  our  "small  stores," 
were  all  that  an  epicure  could  desire. 

Through  the  Pass,  a  distance  of  eight 
miles,  our  dak  was  drawn  by  nine  coolies. 
The  reason  why  horses  are  not  used  here 
was  to  us  incomprehensible;  for  the  road 
was  smooth,  and  an  American  horse  could 
easily  have  trotted  up  the  steepest  ascent. 
But  in  India  the  hire  of  nine  men  is  less 
than  that  of  two  horses,  land  a  pas-seul  ol 


LSI 

ore  of  the?e  unbroken  beasts  might  have 
sect  cur  vehicle  spinning  over  a  precipice. 
At  the  end  cf  the  Pass,  which  occupies 
four  hours,  horses  were  once  more  atts 
after  considerable  delay;  bu:  it  was  now 
dark  and  we  had  ten  miles  before  us,  psrt 
of  the  way  through  thick  woods  and  jan- 
gles. We  closed  the  door  of  our  carriage 
and  recounted  all  the  frightful  stories  we 
CDuld  remember  of  "man-eating"  tigers, 
which  here  are  supposed  to  abound;  con- 
cluding, however,  that  Chuddy  L\ll  and 
the  driver  would  be  the  first  victims  in  case 
of  attack,  while  we  could  defend  our  fort- 
ress with  our  revolvers.  With  such  "pleas 
ant  discourse"  we  enlivened  the  hours,  un- 
til at  last  the  lights  of  the  village  of  Deyra 
appeared  in  the  distance,  where  we  roused 
the  keeper  cf  the  dak  bungalow,  who  put 
the  whole  establishment  a:  our  disposal, 
an:  scon  made  us  comfortable  for  the  night, 

W,  P.  F. 


NUMBER  TWENTY- FIVE. 

A  Lively  Start  from  Deyra— Scenes  along 
the     Road -"Caravan  Serai*"— War 
fare  against    Wild   Beasts— Hindoo* 
take  no   part  in  it— Man-Eating  Ti- 
gers-A   Paradise   of   Snakes— White 
Skins  are   Patents  of   Nobility- Sa- 
laam all- Approach  to  the  Himalayas 
—Up    the   Mountains— The  Jampans 
—Charming     Scenery— Caught   in    a 
Storm— Desperate  Situation— Muisoo- 
rie  in  Winter  Quarters— Jolly  as  Mark 
Taplcy— Simla,  the  Hill  Capital  of  In- 
dia—The Snowy  Range— Magnificent 
Views  of  the  Mountains -A  Beautiful 
Apparition— A  Bengalese  Handy  An- 
dy—"Grilled    Boots"— Elephant  and 
Tiger  Hunters— Right  Royal  Sport— 
Return  to  Saharunpore. 
We  planned  an  early  start  from  Dayra  the 
next  morning  to  reach  Rsjpore  in  good  sea 
eon  for  our  ascent  of  the  Himalayas.  Bat  to 
plan  is  one  thing,  to  execute  quite  another* 
Oar  late  arrival  the  night  before  was  unfa- 
vorable to  early  rising,  and  when  at  last 
breakfast  was  dispatched,  the  Daks  were 
not  on  hand.    After  much  delay  we  were 
packed  bag  and  baggage,  but  then  arose  the 
chronic  trouble  about  starting  the  horse?. 
One  horse  was  willing,  the  other  refused  to 
budge  an  inch.    Six  grooms  came  running 
from  the  stable,  four  placed  themselves  ojqo 
at  each  wheel,  one  held  the  horse  by  the  bit, 
another  held  up  his  fore  leg,  while  eeverai 
boys  pushed  behind,    The  driver  gave  the 
signal,  the  wheel  men  threw  their  whole 
weight  on  the  spokes,  the  obstinate  brute 
was  fairly  forced  off  the  ground,  ana  with  a 
wild  yell  of  triumph  we  dashed  off  at  full 
speed,  which  the  driver  took  care  should 
not  to  let  up  until  we  arrived  at  the  end  of 
the  stage. 

Our  road  was  again  over  the  level  rliin, 
and  there  was  no  lack  of  variety  and  charm 
in  watching  the  traffic  on  the  road,  and  the 
novel  scenes  in  the  villages  through  which 
we  passed.  At  frequent  intervals  are  serais 
or  corrols,  built  by  the  Mogul  E  tnperors  or 
the  British  Government,  for  the  use  of  na- 
tives traveling,,  in   caravans.      Hence   our 


184 

word  "caravansary"  or  "caravan-serai." 
The  keepers  of  these  places  supply  water, 
provender  and  food,  and  at  night  the  serais 
along  the  road  are  aglow  with  the  cooking 
fires,  and  resound  with  the  chattering  and 
laughter  cf  thousands  of  natives.  The  vil- 
lage?, or  sera£s,are  about  three  miles  apart, 
and  between  them  you  never  see  a  human 
habitation.  Although  the  north  western 
provinces  are  the  most  densely  populated 
country  in  the  world,  the  jackals  and  wild 
cattle  roam  over  the  space  between  these 
villages,  which  are  fortified  with  walls  of 
mui  or  brick,  as  freely  as  if  it  were>n  un- 
trodden wilderness. 

This  is  what  makes  India,  despite  its  teem 
ing  population  of  two  hundred  millions,  so 
eubject  to  the  depredations  of  wild  beasts. 
The  Hindoos  are  not  a  race  of  Nimrods. 
They  are  naturally  timid,  and  their  religion 
makes  them  averse  to  taking  life,  even  of  a 
beast  of  prey.  The  government  pays  a  re- 
ward of  fifty  rupees  for  every  tiger  killed, 
and  for  leopards,  hyenas  and  wolves,  suias 
that  represent  weeks  of  labor  to  a  native ; 
yet  these  "varmints"  are  nearly  all  killed 
by  Europeans,  and  in  the  war  between  the 
white  man  and  the  3ungle  owners,  it  is 
doubtful  which  party  are  ahead.  In  some 
interior  districts  a  pair  of  man-eating  tigers 
have  been  known  to  eject  the  people  of  a 
whole  village  and  grimly  hold  it  so  long  as 
they  likad  the  lodgings.  In  other  places 
the  road  is  deserted  because  a  tiger  has  pos- 
session. 

The  term  man-eater  is  applied  to  a  tiger 
that  has  once  tasted  human  blood.  From 
that  time  he  becomes  a  cannibal,  and  dou- 
bly dangerous  and  savage.  No  longer  satis- 
tied  with  his  former  food,  he  prowls  singly 
or  in  pairs  around  the  outskirts  of  a  village, 
watching  his  opportunity  to  gobble  up  somo 
unfortunate  native. 

The  premium  paid  for  &  cobra's  head  is 
three  annas  (ten  cents),  and  the  return  of  the 
number  annually  killed  is  only  about 
20,000,  while  it  is  estimated  that  full  that 
number  of  men,  women  and  children  die 
every  year  in  India  from  the  bites  of  cobras 
and  other  venomous  snakes.  This  country 
is  the  paradise  of  snakes,  for  here  they  are 
not  only  feared  but  worshipped.  Some- 
times  a  cobra  will  take  up  its  abode  ia  the 
thatched  roof  or  under  the  mud  walls  of  a 
native  house,  but  the  Hindoo  will  not  kill 
it ;  he  sends  for  a  snake-charmer  to  come  and 
play  to  it  upon  a  reed  or  gourd,  and  respect- 
fully ask  it  to  go  elsewhere.    All  this  is 


185 

wonderfully  in  favor  of  the  hideous  reptile. 
Some  witty  essayist  has  written  a  paper  "on 
the  advantage  of  being  a  cantankerous  old 
fool "  It  a  cobra  could  reason  he  migbt 
congratulate  himself  "on  the  advantages  of 
being  an  ugly,  horrible  «sarpinV  with  a 
fiend's  eves,  and  a  mouth  full  of  certain 
death." 

As  we  ride  along  the  smooth  road  this 
beautiful  morning  we  see  neither  wild 
beasts  nor  venomous  reptiles,  but  meet  long 
strines  of  camels,  and  great  lumbering  ele- 
phants loaded  with  packs  larger  than  them- 
selves, or  carrying  howdahs  with  gaily 
colored  decorations,  in  which  are  stowed 
the  family  of  some  wealthy  native  traveler. 
At  the  villages  the  military  police  in  dark- 
blue  tucic3,  yellow  trowsers,  and  bright  red 
turbans,  rise  up  from  sleep  or  hookah,  and 
give  us  the  military  salute— due  in  India  to 
the  white  face  from  all  native  troops.  Here 
your  skin  is  your  pateU  of  nobility  and 
paseport,  all  in  one.  On  the  road  the  na- 
tives all  salaam  to  us— except  mere  coolies, 
who  do  not  think  themselves  worthy  even 
to  offer  a  salute— and  as  I  make  it  a  part  of 
my  religion  never  to  be  outdone  in  cour  - 
tesy,  I  always  return  the  low  bow  and 
humble  "salaam,  sahib,"  with  a  civil  and 
polite  "salaam." 

At  noon  we  reach  Raj  pore,  a  pretty  vil- 
lage nestled  at  the  loot  of  the  hills  that 
form  the  first  range  of  the  Himalayas. 
There  can  be  no  mistake  now  about  our 
proximity  to  these  grand  old  mountains. 
What  all  day  yesterday  seemed  lite  white 
flaecy  clouds,  piled  up  along  the  northern 
horizon,  and  gradually  rising  as  we  sp- 
proached,  now  stand  sharply  defined  in  lofty 
heights,  uprising  one  above  another,  and 
extending  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Im 
mediately  before  us  are  the  mighty  spurs  of 
this  mighty  range,  upon  which  is  perched 
the  town  of  Mussoorie,  while  a  mile  or  two 
further  on,  at  the  summit  of  these  hills,  we 
discern  the  pretty  white  cottages  of  Lan 
dour,  over  8,000  feet  above  the  sc»,  and  the 
ultima^huh  of  our  journey. 

From  where  we  stand  in  the  piazza  of  the 
hotel  we  can  trace  the  narrow  zig-zag  path 
winding  up  the  mountain  side,  in  some 
places  seeming  like  a  shelf  cut  from  the 
solid  rock.  By  the  path  we  are  told  that  it 
is  ten  miles  to  Landour,  although  it  can  be 
scarely  one  fourth  that  distance  "as  the 
bird  flies."  Here  we  exchange  our  Dafe- 
gharry  for  ponies  and  Jampans ;  and  all  the 
luggage  is  packed  on  the  backs  of  Coolies. 


186 

The  Jampa  n  which  is  usually  preferred  by 
ladie?,  for  a  skittish  horse  might  back  the 
j  icier  ever  a  precipice,  i8  a  kind  of  sedan 
chair,  made  very  light,  like  tho<e  of  China, 
acd  closed  on  Its  four  sides  by  curtains.  It 
is  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  four  men  by  a 
pole  front  and  rear.  Nine  men  are  the  com- 
plement of  each  Jimpan,  four  to  carry  and 
four  as  relays— :he  odd  man  assuming  the 
command  of  the  squad,  and  becoming  a 
nominal  i  ecurity  for  their  good  behavior. 

The  Jampan  wallahs  have  a  most  pecu* 
Jiar  shuffling  gait,  caused  apparently  by 
wearing  slippers  much  too  large  for  them. 
Your  comfort  depends  upon  the  sort  of 
bearers  you  get,  as  some  keep  step  very 
imperfectly,  and  the  result  is  that  you  feel 
the  motion  in  every  bone  in  your  body.  But 
where  they  carry  you  with  an  easy  sling 
trot,  you  scon  get  accustomed  and  indiffer- 
ent to  the  motion. 

When  our  cavalcade  started  from  R*jpore 
the  sun  wss  shining  brightly  and  it  was 
quite  warm  although  a  cool  breez3  was 
sweeping  down  from  the  snow  clad  moun- 
tains; and  I  imprudently  had  my  overcoat 
strapped  on  the  back  of  coolie,  who  started 
half  an  hour  ahead.  The  scenery,  as  we 
ascended  the  winding  path,  was  grand  and 
imposing-  Huge  reeky  hill3  rise  abruptly 
to  the  height  of  live  hundred  to  one  thou- 
sand feet,  or  undulate  along  to  a  much 
steeper  ascent  in  the  distance;  down  the 
valleys  through  many  a  rrcky  ravine  rush 
bright,  sparkling  waterfalls,  tumbling  and 
leaping  in  frothy  beauty,  as  they  are  checked 
in  their  course  by  massive  boulders  of  stone. 
Occasionally  a  troop  of  wild  monkeys  rush 
eaattering  up  the  cliff,  pelting  you  from  the 
top  with  pebbles— and  loosening  in  their 
ascent  the  shingly  soil,  which  comes  rattling 
in  a  bhower  down  the  hillside.  Masses  of 
wild  honeysuckle,  cactus  ard  creeping 
plants  run  over  and  clothe  the  rugged 
points  of  rock,  and  the  delicate  foliage  of 
the  feathery  bamboo  contrasts  fancifully 
with  the  lofty  pine  that  towers  by  its  side. 

We  came  frequently  to  dangerous  looking 
curves,  where  it  seems  to  require  only  a 
strong  puff  of  wine-  to  tilt  one  over  the 
precipice.  The  path  is  usually  about  ten 
feet  wide  and  protected  by  a  low  Etone  par- 
apet. But  in  some  places  it  is  too  narrow 
for  two  leaded  horses  to  pass  in  safety,  and 
we  here  keep  a  sharp  lookout  that  we  may 
meet  no  cavalcades  bound  down  toward  the 
valley. 
^  Having  as  we  supposed  plenty  of  time  we 


187 

loitered  on  the  way,  frequently  turning  in 
cur  saddles  to  gaze  at  the  beautiful  pictures 
spread  out  on  the  plain  below,  for  as  we  rise 
higher  and  higher  we  can  trace  the  road 
oyer  which  we  passed,  all  the  way  to  Deyra. 
But  a  sudden  clouding  in  of  the  sun  and 
rumbling  of  thunder  over  our  heads  admon- 
ished us  that  a  storm  was  coming  down  the 
mountain  to  meet  us.  A  pattering  of  rain* 
drops  and  a  chilly  blast  of  wind  made  the 
Coolies  drop  the  curtains  of  the  Jampans ; 
but  we  on  horseback  had  no  such  protection 
from  the  rain  that  now  came  pouring  down 
in  torrents.  We  were  scarcely  half  way 
up  the  mountain,  and  halting  for  a  moment 
under  the  protection  of  a  cliff,  we  held  a 
"council  of  war,"  in  which  it  was  decided 
that  I  should  push  ahead  and  secure  quar- 
ters for  the  party,  as  the  prospect  of  a  severe 
storm  was  now  imminent.  I  gave  my  pony 
the  rattan  freely  and  dashed  ahead  up  the 
winding  path. 

The  higher  I  aecended  the  fiercer  and 
colder  grew  the  blast,  until  the  rain  turned 
to  sleet  and  seemed  to  penetrate  to  the  bone. 
My  poor  nag  could  hardly  be  worried  out 
of  a  walk,  and  my  wet  clothes  were  fast  be- 
ing covered  over  with  a  coat  of  sleety  mail. 
Now  I  bitterly  repented  parting  with  my 
over  coat,  on  which  the  Coolie  was  prob 
ably  snoozing  comfortably,  having  crowded 
into  some  drv  hole  in  the  cliff.  Through 
the  driving  mist  and  sleet,  the  town  of  Mus* 
soorie  could  be  plainly  seen,  and  I  thought 
every  curve  of  the  road  would  certainly 
bring  me  to  the  summit.  But  tantalus  like 
it  seemed  to  recede  as  I  climbed  upwards. 
f  fear  my  jaded  poney  thought  I  was  a  cruel 
rider,  as  I  plied  my  rattan  and  dug  my  heels 
into  his  sides  in  the  vain  attempt  to  force 
him  into  a  trot. 

Despite  the  desperate  situation,  wet  to 
the  skin  and  chilled  to  the  marrow,  I  halted 
for  a  moment  under  a  projecting  cliff,  im- 
pressed with  the  novelty  and  sublimity  of 
the  scene.  Looking  back,  I  could  see  the 
Bun  shining  serenely  on  the  plain  below, 
while  half  way  up  the  mountain  was  a 
pouring  shower,  which  at  my  elevation 
was  turned  to  driving  sleet.  Over  my  head 
and 

"Far  along, 

Frcm  peak  to  peak,  the  rattling  crags  among, 
Leaped  the  live  thunder— not  in  one  lone  cleud, 
Urn  every  mountain  now  had  fou ad  a  tongue." 

But  a  short  time  could  be  given  to  the 
poetry  of  the  situation,  unless  I  was  willing 
to  realize  the  fate  of  that  unfortunate 
♦'youth  who  bore  'mid  snow  and  ice  a  ban  - 


188 


ner  with  a  strange  device."  Another  de8' 
perate  push,  and  a  few  more  curves  of  the 
road,  which  seemed  interminable,  and  my 
pony  pricked  up  his  ears  and  struck  into  a 
lively  gait,  which  soon  brought  us  into  the 
winding  streets  of  the  town.  He  instinct- 
ively trotted  up  hill  and  down  through  what 
might  have  passed  for  Goldsmith's  "Desert- 
ed  Village,"  straight  to  the  hotel,  without 
my  seeing  a  single  human  being  of  whom  1 
could  have  enquired  the  way. 

Mussoorie  is  a  summer  watering  place  for 
Europeans  residing  on  the  hot  and  scorched 
plains,  which  extend  for  thousands  of  miles 
southward  and  is  now  in  winter  Quarters. 
The  hotel  is  dismantled  with  not  a  white 
man  about  the  premises,  and  the  furniture 
is  piled  promiscuously  in  parlors,  drawing- 
rooms  and  bed-rooms.  I  am  afraid  I  flour- 
ished my  rattan  threateningly  over  the  heads 
of  the  native  servants  in  charge  of  the  estab- 
lishment to  expedite  their  movements.  With 
poor  Hindoostanee  but  good  pantomime  1 
made  them  understand  that  I  wanted  some 
rooms  put  in  order  and  fires  built  for  the 
" memsahib,"  or  ladies,  who  were  coming; 
a  ad  before  they  arrived  there  were  bright 
fires  blazing  in  two  rooms,  whicb,  barring 
the  Bmoke,  made  the  place  quite  a  cosy  and 
comfortable  retreat  from  the  storm  that 
raged  out  of  doors.  With  hot  water,  et  cet 
era,  we  soon  made  ourselves  as  jolly  as  a  trio 
of  Mark  Tapleys,  turning  round  and  round 
like  roasting  jacks  before  the  fire  to  dry  our 
clothes.  In  the  meantime  the  whole  forco 
of  the  establishment,  with  the  addition  of 
"  Chuddy  LalV  busied  themselves  in  pre- 
paring something  hot  to  eat  and  drink.  Be- 
fore dark  the  Coolies  arrived  with  our  lug- 
gage, and  the  evening  was  passed  most 
pleasantly  in  "recounting  the  dangers  we 
bad  passed,"  while  the  storm  be*t  fiercely 
against  the  glass  and  rattled  the  casements 
as  if  enraged  at  our  escape. 

The  next  morning  the  sun  rose  bright  and 
clear,  and  we  found  six  inches  of  enow  upon 
the  ground,  which  to  me  was  a  novelty,  as 
the  only  "winter  landscape"  I  had  seen  lor 
nearly  two  years.  We  started  after  break- 
fast, on  foot,  to  ascend  toLandour,  the  high- 
est point,  from  which  the  best  view  can  be 
had  of  the  famous  "Snowy  Range."  The 
buildings  of  Mussoorie,  which  in  winter 
are  uninhabited,  are  perched  upon  all  sorts 
of  funny  places— here  on  the  top  of  a  hill, 
now  on  its  slope,  then  deep  in  some  cosy 
valley;  and  the  streets  leading  to  them 
twine,    twist  and   turn  in  every  direction. 


189 


Trie  names  over  the  gateways,  "RoseVilla," 
"Waterloo  Terrace,"  "Ivy  Lodge,"  etc., 
have  a  thoroughly  English  look.  Bat  now 
the  shutters  are  closed,  the  gates  nailed  up, 
acd  straw  is  twisted  around  the  tender 
vines  that  in  summer  clamber  over  porch 
and  doorways.  It  would  be  hard  to  real- 
i£3,  were  it  not  for  the  signs  over  the 
closed  and  deserted  shops,  that  within  lees 
than  sixty  days  this  place  will  be  the  home 
of  five  or  six  thousand  Europeans,  with 
bank  and  billiards,  assembly  room  and 
theater,  and  possibly  a  daily  newspaper,  in 
full  operation. 

Bat  the  most  fashionable  resort  for  Eu- 
ropeans among  the  Himalavas  is  at  Simla, 
where  the  government  of  India,  seeking 
reiuge  from  the  boat  of  Calcutta,  is  located 
for  half  the  year.  This  place  is  called  the 
>5Hiil  Versailles,"  and  is  made  up  of  cot- 
tages and  bungalows,  built  like  Mussoorie 
along  a  narrow  mountain  ridge,  and  up 
and  down  the  steep  sides  of  an  Alpine 
peak  It  is  connected  by  telegraph  with 
the  rest  of  the  world,  and  during  "the 
Reason"  is  gay  with  balls,  picnics  and  pri 
vate  theatricals.  The  baggage  of  the 
Viceroy  and  suite  fills  a  whole  railway 
train,  and  is  conveyed  from  the  nearest 
station  on  elephants,  camels,  pack  horses 
and  coolies  to  this  pleasant  retreat  among 
the  mountains. 

The  enow  is  fast  melting  in  the  warm  sun, 
as  we  climb  up  towards  Landour.  The  air 
is  exhiliarating,  but  sorarified  at  this  eleva- 
tion of  8.000  feet,  as  to  make  active  exercise 
rather  fatiguing.  At  last  we  reach  the 
highest  point,  on  which  is  located  a  pretty 
cottage,  now  deserted,  and  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  porch  we  enjoy  at  our  ease  or.  a 
of  the  grandest  sights  of  mountain  scenery 
in  the  world.  In  front,  and  extending  to 
the  right  and  left  until  lost  in  the  dim  dis- 
tance are  snow-covered  peaks  from  20,000 
to  29,000  feet  in  height.  Beicg  draped  in 
spotless  white  from  base  to  summit  the 
bright  eun  is  reflected  in  dazzling  brillian- 
cy. The  storm  of  yesterday  has  cleared  the 
atmosphere,  and  the  outlines  are  distinctly 
marked  against  the  blue  sky.  The  view  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains  from  the  plains  ot 
Denver  is  grand— perhaps  the  finest  on  the 
American  continent.  But  here  the  moun- 
tains rise  to  double  the  height  of  either 
Pike's  Peak  or  Mont  Blanc.  Covered  with 
eternal  ica  and  snow  these  lofty  mountains 
seem  radiantly  brilliant,  or  frowningly 
gloomy,  as  the  sun  appears,  or  Is  hid  by  a 


190 

passing  cioud  or  by  the  uprising  mists  from 
the  valleys.  This  beautiful  view  of  the 
Himalayas  impresses  a  picture  on  the  mem- 
ory  of  the  beholder  which  can  never  be 
effaced;  and  amply  repays  the  toil  and 
fatigue  of  a  journey  thither. 

In.returnlng  to  the  hotel  at  a  point  where 
the  path  for  half  a  mile  was  nearly  level, 
we  were  startled  and  almost  run  over  by  a 
horse  that  came  dashing  by  at  full  speed 
along  the  road.  We  could  catch  but  a  rapid 
glace 3  at  the  sudden  apparition,  but  it 
allowed  us  a  pure  white  Arab,  ridden  by  a 
beautiful  girl,  whose  rosy  cheeks  belonged 
to  some  more  northern  clime  than  India. 
We  all  exclaimed,  in  one  breath,  "  How 
beautiful!"  "The  horse  or  the  rider?" 
"Both,"  was  the  unanimous  verdict,  as 
the  apparition  quickly  vanished  around  a 
curve  in  the  road.  "  Wao  can  she  be?" 
11  Where  does  she  belong  ?"'  were  the  ques  • 
tiona  asked,  but  thev  remain  yet  unan- 
swered. 

Melted  snow  is  dampening  to  the  feet,  and 
our  extra  boots  had  all  been  left  behind 
with  the  heavy  baggage.  So,  eneconsed  in 
slippers,  we  gave  our  wet  boots  to  Chuddy 
L"iil  to  be  dried  at  the  kitchen  fire.  This 
henchman  of  my  friends  was  a  Bengalese 
edition  of  u  Handy- Andy  "—simple,  honest, 
and  blundering  as  his  Irish  prototype— if  as 
witty,  it  w&3  hidden  from  us  in  his  un- 
known tongue. 

My  friend  wants  his  boots.  Bells  are 
rare  in  the  East ;  when  one  wishes  for  a  ser- 
vant he  steps  into  the  hall  and  claps  his 
hands.  After  some  unaccountable  delay 
Chuddy  opens  the  door.  His  complexion, 
usually  about  "half-and-half,"  seems  now 
almost  white,  and  he  looks  frightened  out 
of  his  wits.  In  his  hands  are  the  remains  of 
a  pair  of  boots,  burned  to  a  crisp.  Leaving 
the  door  open  to  secure  his  retreat,  he  stam- 
mers out,  "I  go  to  sleep,  fire  blaze  up  and 
burn  de  boots— berry  sorry,  Sahib,"  and 
with  both  hands  touching  his  forehead  he 
salaams  almost  to  the  floor,  then  takes  a  step 
or  two  backwards  towards  the  door. 

His  former  experience  with  English  mat- 
ters led  him  to  anticipate  a  volley  of  curscf , 
emphasized  by  some  missile  like  a  boot- jack 
or  a  bottle.  The  provocation  was  certainly 
enough  to  start  the  ire  of  an  even  tempered 
man,  thus  condemned  for  three  days  in  a 
wintry  climate  to  wear  his  slippers,  for 
no  boots  could  be  had  short  of  S&harun 
pore. 

But  my  friend  is  a  gentleman,  an  Ameri- 


191 


cib,  and  a  New  Yorker- 

DisnjiKeing  Handy  Andy  with  a  miid  rep- 
rimand ,  he  j  jined  the  rest  of  us  in  a  hearty 
laugh  at  the  irresistibly  comical  and  fright- 
ened look  of  poor  Chuddy,  who  kept  shady 
tbe  rest  of  the  day  as  if  afraid  hi-j  master 
would  change  his  mood.  We  had  just  fin* 
iehed  dinner,  and  ever  after,  in  speaking  of 
our  Himaiayan  experience?,  "grilled  boote" 
were  referred  to  as  a  part  of  cur  "Bill  of 
fare." 

Another  day  was  spent  amid  this  splendid 
Alpine  scenery,  and  then  we  descended  to 
R*jpore,  where  our  Dak 3  were  waiting  to 
convey  us  back  over  the  plains  to  S&harun- 
pore. 

At  the  Mohun  Pas?,  where  we  exchanged 
quadrupeds  for  bipeds,  we  found  a  native 
Ksjah  encamped  with  several  hundred  at- 
tendants. They  were  on  an  elephant  and 
tiger  hunt ;  and  with  the  party  were  tin  e 
or  four  English  officers,  who  very  polite; y 
showed  us  through  the  camp  and  into  the 
correl,'where  there  were  about  &eventy  wild 
elephants,  all  captured  within  the  past  week. 
Several  splendid  animals  were  chained  by 
the  leg  to  large  trees,  from  which  they  had 
twisted  in  their  fury  every  branch  within 
reach  of  their  trunks,  and  pawed  great  holes 
in  the  ground.  They  are  allowed  to  give 
free  vent  to  their  rage,  and  after  a  few  days 
they  cool  down  and  become  docile  and  obe- 
dient. We  were  much  interested  in  the 
description  of  the  modus  operandi  of  hunting 
elephants  and  tigers,  and  were  strongly  in- 
clined to  accept  the  invitation  given  us  to 
join  the  partv  for  a  few  day's  sport.  The 
possible  chance  of  carrying  heme  as  a  trophy 
the  skin  of  a  "Royal  Bengal  Tiger"  was  in- 
deed a  temptation— while  the  risk  of  leaving 
one's  own  skin  in  India  as  a  trophy  to  tbe 
"Man-eater,"  would  have  been  of  no  consid- 
eration whatever,  if  our  other  plans  had  not 
rendered  this  episode  impossible. 

When  we  reached  Saharunpore  after  an 
absence  of  six  days,  and  again  took  the  cars 
southward,  it  seemed  as  if  we  had  been  on  a 
grand  pic  -nic  excursion,  which  to  me  had 
been  made  especially  enjoyable  by  the  so- 
ciety and  companionship  of  most  agreeable 
and  pleasant  friends,  W.  F.  F. 


DUMBER    TWENTY  SIX. 

Retarn  Southwards— Jubbalpore-Le 
sranrt  of  the  Nerbudda— The  Marble 
Rocks— Prison  of  the  Thugs— Travel 
ing  Companion!- A  Cigar  Well  In- 
vetted— The  Russian  Question- Will 
The  Russian  Bear  Drive  the  English 
Bull  oat  of  India? 

Bombay,  India,  March  1871. 
We  now  retrace  our  steps  from  Saharun- 
pore  to  Allahabad,  500  miles,  and  here  turn 
to  the  southward  in  the  direction  of  Bom- 
bay, 850  miles  distant.  We  gradually 
3limb  the  Ghants,  a  long  rat  ge  of  mountains 
stretching  across  Isdia  from  West  to  East; 
and  in  ten  hours  had  ascended  ICCO  feet 
and  reached  Jubbalpore,  one  ot  the  most 
important  cities  of  esntral  India.  It  is  situ- 
ated on  the  Nerbudda,  a  large  and  rapid 
stream,  which  has  its  source  in  a  fl it-topped 
mountain,  forming  the  eastern  terminus  of 
this  range  of  hills.  The  legend  is  that  Her 
Msj38ty,  theNerbudda,  and  another  river, 
rising  in  the  same  mountain,  had  intended 
to  be  united  in  marriage,  and  to  roll  their 
waters  together  toward  tne  eastern  sea*; 
but  the  course  of  true  love  failed  to  run 
soomth;  the  little  river  Johille,  which  has 
its  source  hard  by,  cast  in  the  apple  of  dis- 
card, and  Her  Msjssty  declared  she  would 
not  go  a  single  pacs  in  the  same  direction 
with  such  wretches,  and  would  Hdw  west, 
though  all  the  other  rivers  in  India  might 
flow  east.  So  west  she  turned,  and  after  a 
thousand  miles  of  wandering,  jours  her 
waters  into  the  Arabian  Ssa. 

Ten  miles  from  J ubbalpjre  are  the  cele- 
brated "Marble  Rocks,"  where  the  petulant 
Nerbudda,  bceoming  pent  up  between  lime- 
stone recks,  fliegs  herself  tumultuously  over 
a  ledge  with  a  fall  of  thirty  feet,  called  the 
"Misty  Shoot,"  then  enters  a  deeply-cut 
channel,  carved  through  a  mass  of  marble 
and  basalt  for  about  two  mile9.  The  river 
is  here  compressed  into  scms  twenty  yard.?, 
though  more  than  five  times  that  width 
above  the  falls,  and  glides  along  in  its  nar- 
row bed  very  timothl/  and  with  great 
depth,  between  a  double  wall  of  marble 
frcm  fifty  to  eighty  feet  in  height.  In  some 
places  large  maitej  of  basalt,  black  as  jet, 
contrast  strongly  with  the  dszzling  wnite 


1 93 

marble,  and  the  reunion  upon  the  water, 
which  has  a  bluish-green  tint,  is  iuo«t  cu- 
rious and  weird-like,  especially  when  seen 
by  moonlight.  Even  at  mid  day  the  utter 
silence  and  solitude  of  the  spot— as  if  the 
spectator  were  left  alone  with  the 
Nerbudda  in  her  marbb  dwelling— 
strike  the  senses  with  a  sort  of  awe. 
The  streets  of  Jubbalpore  are  wide  and 
well  kept,  and  its  many  pretty  bungalows, 
surrounded  by  gardens  and  groves  of  mango 
trees,  make  it  an  attractive  place  of  resi- 
dent during  the  hot  season  to  the  Europe&na 
from  the  plains.  Here  is  located  a  prison 
quite  famous  for  the  manufacture  of  tentp, 
carpets  and  other  fabrics.  The  workers  are 
almost  exclusively  Thugs  and  their  families, 
many  of  them  villainous  looking  fellow*, 
heavily  ironed.  They  are  the  remnants  of 
that  race  of  murderers  and  robbers  that 
once  infested  India,  and  were  the  dread 
alike  cf  natives  and  Europeans.  The  strong 
hand  cf  government  has  put  an  end  to  their 
atrocities,  and  the  few  hundred  here  are 
strictly  guarded  by  soldiers,  and  made  to 
work  to  vara  their  own  living. 

From  this  place  to  Nagpoye,  one  hundred 
and  sixty- two  miles,  is  the  connecting  link 
of  the  railway  between  Calcutta  and  Bom- 
bay, and  has  been  opened  but  a  short  time. 
The  passengers  and  mails  were  formerly  con- 
veyed across  this  gap  by  Dik  gharries,  oc- 
cupying thirty  hours  of  most  fatiguing 
travel.  The  station  house  here  is  not  fin- 
ished, and  while  waiting  for  the  train, 
which  was  an  hour  late,  I  couid  but  notice 
how  uncomplainingly  the  passengers,  ladies 
as  well  as  gentlemen,  sat  upon  their  bag- 
gage on  the  stone  platform,  the  mid- 
day sun  pouring  its  trop:'c*l  heat  upon 
their  heads.  A  few  only  were  protected  by 
white  umbrellas  held  over  them  by  coolies. 
It  occurred  to  me  that  in  America  there 
would  have  been  terrible  growling  over 
such  a  matter ;  but  to  these  Anglo-Indians, 
who  have  been  long  in  the  country,  the 
railway  is  such  an  infiaite  improvement  and 
luxury  in  traveling,  compared  with  the  dak, 
that  this  little  annoyance  was  not  considered 
worth  making  a  fuss  about.  But  the  sun 
was  too  much  for  me,  notwithstanding  my 
solar  toupe&  or  pith  hat,  and  leaving  my 
"traps"  in  charge  of  a  native,  I  was  glad  to 
take  refug '  in  the  shade  of  the  unfinished 
building.  The  train  came  up  at  last,  and 
with  nearly  a  whole  compartment  to  myself 
where  I  could  stretch  out  at  full  length  on 
a  cane  aeat,  I  enjoyed  tbe  cool   bree/3  that 


I'.'l 


swept  through  ine  ear. 

One  advantage  of  traveling  alone  is  the 
better  opportunity  it  offers  of  making  the 
acquaintanea  of  your  fellow  passengers.  1 
have  met  Americans  aboard  who  boasted 
tuat  they  never  spoke  to  their  neighbors  in 
ratlway  cars,  afraid,  perhap?,  of  compro- 
mising their  dignity.  Such  foolish  people 
are  to  be  pitied,  for  they  miss  many  oppor- 
tunities of  gaining  information  about  the 
ccuntry  and  people  through  which  they  are 
traveling.  To  my  surprise  I  have  found 
the  English  everywhere  in  the  cast  ex- 
tremely civil  and  polite  to  stranger?,  espe- 
cially to  Americans.  I  am  told  at  home  i*. 
is  quito  the  reverse. 

My  ccmpanon  du  Voyage  today  was  a 
very  intelligent  Englishman,  to  whom  mv 
cigar  case  was  a  letter  cf  introduction.  He 
had  been  for  twelve  years  in  the  civil  ser- 
vic?,  and  was  thoroughly  posted  on  every 
point  connected  with  the  government  of 
India.  It  was  gratifying  to  see  that  he  was 
as  much  interested  in  what  I  could  tell  him 
about  America,  as  I  was  in  the  exceedingly 
valuable  information  so  freely  imparted  by 
him,  and  which  I  could  not  have  acquired 
from  books. 

Ojr  route  lay  together  for  several  days 
after,  and  I  shall  place  to  the  credit  of  that 
cheroot  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  agree 
able  of  the  maoy  pleasant  travelling  com- 
panions I  have  met  abroad.  But  when  my 
friend  asked  in  a  voics  almost  plaintive, 
whether  ws  Americans  would  join  Russia 
in  a  war  against  "our  mother  country,'  I 
was  at  a  loss  what  to  reply.  I  have  been 
a3ked  the  same  question  many  times  before, 
and  it  implies  a  respect,  perhap3  a  dread,  of 
our  power  which  was  not  shown  before  the 
rebellion. 

The  fear  of  Ru36ia  and  the  dread  that  the 
Muscovite  will  work  down  and  eventually 
drive  them  out  cf  India,  is  the  great  night- 
mare that  rests  upon  the  English  in  the 
East.  The  Russiane  are  steadily  advancing 
southward  in  Asia,  conquering  their  way 
step  by  step,  until  England  and  Russia  ara 
now  almost  face  to  faca.  That  the  English 
have  got  to  fight  for  the  possession  of  this 
magnificent  empire  in  the  East  upon  the 
plains  of  India  is  "manifest  destiny;"  but 
I  am  not  the  prophet  to  foretell  the  result. 
The  intelligent  natives  watch,  with  great  in- 
terest the  advance  of  Russia;  not  that  they 
would  be  any  better  off  under  her  than  un- 
der the  British,  whom  they  fear,  but  do 
not  love;  but  they  would    like  to  see  the 


19; 


English  thrashed  at  all  events,  like  the 
echool  boy  who  would  be  g*ad  to  see  a  new 
bully  thrash  his  former  master,  even  though 
he  proves  a  severer  tyrant.  The  country  is 
infinitely  better  governed  now  than  before 
the  mutiny,  and  the  wide -spread  hatred  of 
the  English  does  not  prove  that  they  are 
bad  rulers.  It  is  merely  the  hatred  that 
easterns  always  bear  their  masters;  yet 
masters  the  Hindoos  will  always  have.  The 
English  judges  and  civil  officials  are  incor- 
ruptible, and  the  native,  who  is  fond 
of  law  suits,  is  sure  of  exact  and  even 
justice,  although  his  opponent  may  bo 
a  European.  Under  native  rulers  justice 
uninfluenced  by  bribes  wag  unknown.  For 
scores  of  centuries  the  Hindoos  have  bribed 
and  taken  bribes,  and  corruption  has  eaten 
into  the  Eational  character  so  deeply  that 
many  people  declare  it  can  never  be  washed 
out.  Bribes  are  constantly  offered  to  Eng- 
lish onlcials,  and  that  they  should  be  re 
i?cted  is  something  incomprehensible  to  the 
ignorant  native.  The  Euspians  are  not 
thoroughly  civiazed:  they  are  semi-bar- 
harians,  and  their  officials  are  notoriously 
the  most  CDrrupt  and  venal  in  Europe, 
'•scratch  a  Russian  and  you  will  find  a  bear 
beneath  the  sain."  Were  they  a  civilized 
European  Power  with  "a  mission"  in  the 
East,  or  even  an  enlightened  Commercial 
Power,  with  benevolent  instincts,  but  with 
no  policy  outside  their  pockets— *uch  as  the 
rule  in  India  was  under  the  East  India 
Company— mankind  might  be  benefited  by 
their  advance  into  Southern  Asia.  But  aa 
an  organizad  Barbarism,  of  Asiatic  origin, 
to  replace  the  English  would  be  a  step 
backwards  to  the  people  of  India.  The 
gr*>at  mass  of  tho  people  are  quite  in- 
d  If  rirent  as  to  who  their  rulers  are,  if  only 
their  taxes  are  kept  down.  The  Govern- 
ment is  establishing  schools  and  colleges  in 
all  the  large  cities,  and  thousands  of  young 
men  are  growing  up  with  western  ideas 
who  will  stand  by  the  English  in  case  of  any 
future  insurrection.  They  are  identified 
with  the  government  by  minor  official  po- 
sitions, and  many  thousands  are  employed 
on  the  railwavs.  The  danger  is  from  the 
outside,  not  from  any  internal  disaffection. 
There  are  70,000  English  soldiers  in  the 
country,  and  In  reorganizing  the  native 
troops  since  the  mutiny  the  government  has 
wisely  drawn  most  of  their  recruits  from 
the  Sikhs  and  other  war-like  tribes  of  the 
Punjaub  in  Northern  India,  who  are  all 
Mahometans  and  hate  as  well  as  de*  pise  the 
more  effsminate  Hindoos  of  the  South. 

My  views  of  tho  "Eastern  Question"  are 
submitted  in  all  modesty,  and  may  not  be 
correct.  I  can  only  say  that  they  are  the 
result  of  over  3.000  miles  travel  through  the 
country,  and  the  honest  endeavor,  without 
any  partiality  to  the  present  rulers,  against 
whom  I  was  strongly'preiudiced,  to  gain  all 
possible  information  on  the  subject, 


NUMBER  TWENTY-SEVEN. 


Lucky  Crows— Summit  of  the  Ghauts 
-Perilous  Descent— Bombay,  the  Cot- 
ton Metropolis  of  India— Founded 
by  the  Portuguese,  Given  to  the 
English— King  Cotton  Here  Abso 
lute— The  Parsees—  Street  Scenes— 
Bycuila  Hotel-Yacht  Race— The 
44  Live  Yankee"  Almost  Wins— We u- 
1mm  Lake  Ice— Caves  of  Elephanta 
Hindoo  Ideal  of  Goi— Fareweli  t» 
India. 

Bomb  a. y,  India,  March  1S71. 
All  day  we  have  been  slowly  climbing  the 
Ghante;  the  Begra  Hills  on  our 
left  are  seen  many  miles  away.  Now 
we  torn  sharply  to  the  south, 
pass  thiough  a  deep  reck  cutting,  then 
dash  through  a  half  mile  tunnel,  and 
cross  the  B?gra  river  on  a  high  iron  bridge. 
Again  we  pass  over  a  hundred  miles  or 
more  of  table  land,  highly  cultivated,  with 
wheat  fields  of  one  thousand  acres  on  either 
bide,  almost  ripe  for  the  harvest.  In  the 
middle  of  these  fields  upon  high  platforms 
men  are'stationed  to  drive  away  the  preda- 
tory crows;  but  no  one  kills  these  marau- 
ders, who  ought  to  be  thankful  that  their 
lot  is;cast  in  a  Hindoo  not  a  Christian  land. 
During  the  iew  hours  of  darkness,  for  the 
nights  are  here  very  short,  we  pass  through 
a  wild  section  covered  with  wood  and  jun- 
gle, said  to  be  infested  by  tigers  and  wild 
beasts.  Stopping  at  an  early  hour  the  next 
morniug  lor  breakfast  we  find  ourselves 
upon  the  summit  and  enjoy  a  splendid  sun  - 
rise  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  Now 
commences  the  descent  of  the  western  slops 
of  the  Ghaatp.  The  grade  is  very  steep  and 
our  train  is  divided,  each  section  being  held 
back  by  all  the  power  of  engine  and  brakes. 
The  curves  are  very  sharp  and  the  road  rico- 
chets like  the  tape  on  a  care-rack.  Around 
the  shorter  curves  there  are  three  rails  in- 
stead of  two.  One  is  laid  so  close  to  the  cn°- 
rail  that  there  is  barely  space  between  them 
for  the  flange  of  the  wheel,  and  this  is  called 
the  guard  rail.  1  do  not  remember  ever  to 
have  seen  this  in  crossing  the  Alleghaniea 
by  the  Pennsylvania  or  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
routes.  The  scenery  is  wild  and  grand,  and 
theia   are   more  bridges  over  cha=nia  atU 


IX 


gjrgee,  dark  and  deep,  and  more  frequent 
tunnels  for  the  nest  ten  miles  tha*  1  ever 
bsw  before  in  the  same  distance.  At  ore 
place  the  train  comes  to  a  lull  stop  a  bun- 
d red  yards  from  the  verge  of  a  precipice  cf 
one  thousand  feet;  and  here  the  track, 
forming  the  letter  Y,  starts  off  again  in  the 
opposite  direction.  A  freight  train  coming 
down  this  grade  a  few  months  ago  during 
the  rainy  season,  when  the  track  was  slip- 
pery got  beyond  the  control  of  the  brakes 
and  went  dashing  over  the  precipice.  We 
run  very  slowly  and  are  two  hours  in  mak- 
ing the  descent  of  fifteen  miles.  There  is  a 
dt  elded  feeling  of  relief  among  the  passen  • 
gers  when  we  "touch  bottom." 

For  four  hours  more  we  glide  smoothly 
over  a  comparatively  level  country  where 
cotton  seems  to  be  the  principal  crop,  and 
most  of  the  cars  on  the  side  tracks  are 
marked  "cotton  wagons."  We  are  evi- 
dently approaching  Bombay,  the  great  cot- 
ton metropolis  of  India.  This  portion  of 
the  road  is  old,  and  the  track  is  lined  with 
hedges  of  cactus.  The  station  houses  are 
pretty  crttage-liko  buildings,  surrounded 
by  flowers;  and  long  rows  oi  plants  in  pot?, 
gorgeous  creepers  and  beds  cf  rotes  and  bal- 
sams show  the  pains  taken  by  these  railway 
gardener?,  and  the  good  teste  of  the  (super- 
intendent of  the  line.  Why  cannot  some  of 
our  older  roads  in  America  follow  the  exam- 
ple of  England  and  the  continent  in  thus  em- 
belishing  those  most  dreary  looking  places, 
the  country  railway  station  ? 

At  noon  we  reach  Bombay,  which  claims 
to  be  the  second  city  in  sizo  in  the  British 
empire,  with  a  population  of  nearly  a  mil* 
lion,  the  rival  of  Calcutta  as  a  aeaport,  and 
the  postal  centre  cf  India. 

It  is  built  on  a  number  of  email  islands, 
connected  with  each  other  and  the  main- 
land by  causeways,  forming  altogether  a 
peninsular  so  low  and  flat  that  during  the 
rainy  season  large  tracts  are  under  water. 
Notwithstanding  its  location  it  is  so  open  to 
the  invigorating  sea  breeze  that  Bom- 
bay in  said  to  be  one  of  the  health- 
ies  i-Hces  in  India  for  Europeans.  Many 
of  the  rich  merchants  have  beautiful  villas 
on  Malabsr  Hill  in  the  suburbs,  which,  sur- 
rounded by  gardens  and  shrubbery,  resem- 
ble the  New  Yorkers'  cottages  on  Staten 
Island.  This  city  was  founded  three  hun- 
dred years  ago  by  the  Portuguese  under 
mat  fearless  old  sea-dog,  Vasco  da  Gama, 
who  won  the  title  of  "Admiral  of  the  In- 
dian, Persian  and  Arabian  Seas,'*  by  first 


198 

doubling  the  stormy  cape,  asd  pointing  out 
the  new  route  to  the  Indies.  For  many 
years  the  Portuguese  monopoliz3d  the  rich 
trade  of  Indis,  founding  cities  on  both  east  - 
ern  and  western  coaste,  which  they  enriched 
with  most  splendid  churches,  and  like  the 
Spaniards  in  the  west,  laid  the  foundation  of 
an  empire  in  ir.ju3tic3,  and  cemented  it  with 
innocent  blood. 

All  that  remains  to  them  tow  is  the  little 
settlement  of  Goa,  btlow  Bombay  on  the 
western  cjast,  once  great  and  opulent,  now 
a  poor,  faded  place,  with  a  harbor  half 
choked  with  mud.  There  is  said  to  be  a 
caste  in  Western  India  called  "Goaeae,"  or 
"Portuguese,"— black  as  crows,  and  good 
for  little  except  cDoking— which  represents 
the  hybrid  Lusitanian  and  native  mixture. 
The  city  of  Bombay  was  given  away  as  a 
marriage  trosseau  along  with  tae  Infanta 
Catharine  to  Charles  II. 

But  the  Barnbay  of  to-day  is  ruled  by  a 
potentate  whom  we  once  knew  in  America, 
'King  Cotton,"  and  his  sway  is  here  as  ab- 
solute as  it  ever  was  in  Charleston  or  New 
Orleans.  Cotton  has  built  the  splendid 
stores  and  warehouses,  which  are  unequaled 
in  any  city  of  the  Bast.  Cotton  has  collect- 
ed the  hundred  steamers  and  the  thousands 
of  native  boats  that  are  anchored  in  the 
harbor.  The  export  of  cotton  rose  from 
twenty-five  million  dollars  worth  in  1859  to 
nearly  two  hundred  millions  in  1864;  and 
the  population  from  400,000  to  a  million. 
Not  even  Chicago  ever  to  3k  a  greater  leap 
than  did  Bombay  in  these  five  years.  But 
the  suddan  decline  in  cotton  in  1865  brought 
on  a  commsrciai  crisis  that  ruined  nearly 
ev^.ry  merchant  in  the  city.  It  has  now  in 
a  measure  recovered  from  the  panic,  and  the 
rapid  development  of  railways  in  India,  of 
which  Bombay  is  the  western  terminus,  acd 
the  opening  of  the  Suez  canal,  maks  this 
place  tho  great  entrepot  for  European  goods 
as  well  as  the  most  important  export  point 
for  raw  products,  such  as  cotton,  jute,  spices, 
ivory  and  gums. 

In  numbers,  intelligence  and  wealth  the 
Parsees  are  the  strongest  of  all  the  mer- 
chants of  Bombay.  This  position  they  have 
gained  by  their  superior  capacity  for  busi- 
ness, enterprise  and  absence  of  caste  preju- 
dices, which  have  made  the  name  of  leading 
Parsee  merchants  widely  known  in  Europe 
as  well  as  their  native  land.  Disciples  of 
Zoroaster,  and  driven  to  India  many  hun- 
dred years  ago,  they  have  no  nationality  of 
their  own,  but  are  everywhere  attached  to 


199 


the  English  rule. 

In  religion  and  education  the  Parsees  are 
far  in  advance  of  Mahomitans  and  Hindoos. 
Their  creed  is  a  pure  deism,  in  which  God'* 
works,  such  as  fire,  the  sun  and  the  sea,  are 
worshiped  as  the  manifestations  or  visible 
representatives  of  God  on  earth.  Their  tem« 
pies  are  as  plain  as  a  Quaker  meeting  house, 
and  disfigured  by  no  idols  or  tawdry  deco- 
ration. The  men  are  well  educated,  and 
there  is  not  a  pauper  in  the  whole  race. 
The  women  of  the  higher  class  of  Parsees 
are  not  secluded,  but  are  frequently  to  be 
Been  on  the  fashionable  drives  and  prome- 
nades. They  are  quite  good  looking  and 
but  little  darker  in  complexion  than  the 
southern  races  of  Europe.  The  Parsee 
names  on  the  street  signs  are  as  peculiar  as 
Chinese.  They  are  of  many  syllables,  hard 
to  pronounce,  and  all  end  in  "jee  V 

Bombay  is  farther  south  than  Calcutta, 
and  more  Oriental  and  tropical  than  any 
other  place  I  have  seen  in  India.  The  street 
scenes  are  curious  and  novel,  even  to  one 
who  has  been  through  Japan  and  China. 
Th8  turbans,  in  size  and  gay  colors,  beat 
the  world.  They  are  from  two  to  three 
feet  in  diameter,  of  bright  colored  fabrics, 
alternately  twisted  in  the  most  elaborate  and 
artistic  style.  Loose,  flowing  trowsers  of 
pink  or  blue  silk,  and  tunics  to  correspond, 
mako  the  street  costumes  decidedly  gay  and 
lively.  The  turbans  are  sometimes  com- 
posed of  forty  or  fifty  fmrta  of  different  col- 
ored silks  or  cotton.     Jf^"^ 

The  "Byculla  Hotel"  is  an  immense  build* 
ing  200  feet  long  and  perhaps  eighty  wid3. 
The  whole  lower  floor  is  in  one  room, 
twenty- five  feet  high,  with  doors  and  win- 
dows of  Venetian  blinds  orx  every  side, 
through  which  the  air  sweeps  freely.  The 
long  dining  table  is  down  the  center,  and  on 
one  side  are  a  few  private  rooms,  luxuriously 
furnished  and  arranged  with  low  moveable 
screens.  The  table  is  excellent  and  the 
variety  of  the  fruits  unsurpasssd.  Our 
landlord  is  a  Parsee,  who  speaks  English 
perfectly,  but  his  dress  is  a  strange  mixture 
of  the  European  and  the  Oriental— a  tall 
Parsee  miter-shaped  hat,  an  English  coat, 
vest  and  necktie,  and  loose  trowsers  cf 
bright  blue  silk,  tied  round  the  ankle  ana 
flowing  over  Turkish  slippers.  The  twit- 
tering of  sparrows  who  fly  in  and  out  free 
as  the  wind  and  tame  a«i  canary  birds,  is  a 
novel  accompaniment  to  our  meals.  Besides 
the  "voluntary"  by  the  birds,  during  the 


*fo ' 


200 

dinner  a  band  is  playing  behind  a  screen  at 
Me  end  of  the  room. 

The  spring  races  and  regatta  of  the  yacht 
club  are  now  in  full  blast,  so  that  we  leave 
Bombay  in  its  most  attactive  season.  The 
yacht  race  in  the  spacious  harbor  was  a 
beautiful  sight.  There  were  over  forty 
boats  of  various  classes  called  "Duboshee," 
"Lateens,"  "Sliding  Guntere,"  &3,,  most  of 
them  very  long,  sharp  and  graceful  in  form, 
with  immense  lateen  sails,  and  masts  raking 
forward.  One  is  named  the  "Live  Yankee,' 
and  her  colors  were  "blue  and  red  with  a 
white  star."  She  was  entered  for  the  fifth 
r&oe,  and  came  within  one  of  beating.  As 
she  swept  past  the  "flag  ship"  I  thought  I 
detected  in  her  captain  the  face  of  a  man 
born  in  Yankee  land. 

There  are  but  few  American  ships  or  mer- 
chants in  Bombay,  but  "Wenham  Lake  ice" 
is  as  well  known  here  as  in  Boston.  The 
company  has  five  thousand  tons  in  store- 
enough  for  a  year's  supply— and  it  is  sold 
for  an  anna  (three  cents)  a  pound.  Cheap 
enough  after  a  voyage  of  fifteen  thousand 
miles. 

Among  the  sights  in  the  neighborhood 
the  most  celebrated  are  the  "Caves  of  Ele  - 
phanta,"  situated  on  an  island  in  the  harbor, 
about  two  hours'  sail  from  the  pier.  They 
are  immense  caverns  cut  in  the  solid  rock, 
probably  by  the  Buddhists,  two  thousand 
years  ago.  Though  now  partly  in  ruins, 
the  gigantic  statues  and  carvings  upon  the 
the  rocky  walls  are  very  impressive.  They 
embody  the  highest  ideal  of  a  pagan  god.  A 
three-faced  colossal  bust  represents  the 
Buddhist' i  idea  of  God  in  his  three-fold 
character  of  Creator,  Preserver  and  De- 
stroyer, which  is  the  Hindoo  trinity.  The 
grand  repose  of  the  two  first  is  not  the  med- 
itation of  a  saint,  but  the  calmness  of  un- 
bounded power.  The  Destroyer's  head  por- 
tends not  so  1111(111  destruction  as  annihila- 
tion to  the  world. 

The  week  spent  in  Bombay  has  been  full 
o!  interest;  and  now  with  sincere  regret  I 
must  say  "farewell"  to  India.  My  travels 
here,  so  far  from  exhausting,  have  only  in- 
creased my  interest  in  this  strange  country, 
the  home  of  one -sixth  of  the  human  race— a 
land  where  western  ideas  and  a  Christian 
civilization  are  now  struggling  for  a  foot, 
hold,  but  must  eventually  replace  the  efFete 
idolatrvand  paganism  of  the  past. 

W.  P.  F. 


ROUND  THE  WOULD 


Nl'MBEK    TWEXTY-TIir.HT 


Prom  Bomay  to  Suez— The   "  Arabia  "— 
My  Fellow  Passeng  .^ianna"— 

The  Stage  Yankee— Sea   Voyaging  in 
the  Tropics— Aden,  the   Gibralter  of 
the  Eed  Sea— A  most  Desolate  Situa- 
ation — The    Harbor    Landing, — The 
Padre  and  I  Take    a  Kun  Ashore— 
John  Chinaman— An  Abyssinian   Ex- 
quisite   and   his   Bride— The    Water 
Tanks  and  Bazaars— The  Padre's 
erosity  Gets  Us  into  Trouble— Perim— 
The  British  Play  a  Yankee   Trick  on 
the  Prench— Mocha,  the  Coffee  City- 
Navigation   of    the    Eed     Sea— Why 
"  Eed?"— Winds  Always  Ahead— Sinai 
in  Sight,  but  We  Can't  See  the  Chariot 
Wheels — Welcome  Suez, 
Special  Correspondence  Cleveland  Li 
Bombay,  Jul] 
Bombay  to  Suez  is  a  voyag 
about  three  thousand  miles,  and  usually  oc- 
cupies fourteen  days.    One  half  the  route 
r  iss   the  Arabian  Sea  to  Aden,   the 
great  coaling  station   where    all    ad 
touch,  and  the  other  half  is  up  tl 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Suez  canal.  Our  steamer, 
the  "  Arabia."  i-  one  of  the  "  Rubitin  ." 
Italian  line,  that  make  monthly  tri; 

I ,  ,  passing 

erranean  to  Port  Said,  through  thi    S 
canal,  don  o  the   R    ;   S        to  Ad  a,     ami 

sixteen  hundred  mil  - 
of  Arabia  to  Bombay .    She  is  Clyde-mult,  of 
iron, nearly  new, with  v.  ry  civil  and  ati 
officers  who  speak  no  English,  but  under- 
stand a  little  French  as  well  as     Italian. 
Thefirsl        sa     abins  are'forward — i     . 
improvement  in  a  warm  climate,    I 
lure       gel      pure      air      and      much      less 
jar     from      the     machinery.      Th< 

.  ra  are  nearly  all  English  orti- 
cera  with  their  families  returning  home 
•  ■a  a  two  year*.'  furlough,  which  they  are 
allowed  after  seven  years' e  India. 

Of  the  eight  oiJl  -  i  I,   *i\ 

it  ent  out  to  India  a>  brides,  and  are  now  on 
their  way  back  for  the  first  til  9  al  hr.v  < 
children  *ent  home  to  "Grandpa*'  in  L: 


J02 


and  the  younger  .sheaves  they  are  carrying 
home  with  them  are  generally  healthy 
looking-,  and  race  about  the  ship,  keeping 
their  Ayahs,  or  native  nurses,  in  constant 
tribulation,  for  fear  they  will  fall  overboard. 
In  India  every  European  child  is  expected 
to  have  a  native  attendant,  from  whom  they 
learn  Hindoostanee  before  they  know  a  word 
of  English.  Upon  their  parents  the  tropical 
climate  has  left  its  mark.  Their  fresh  com- 
plexions have  turned  sallow,  their  blood  be- 
eome  thin,  and  their  systems  lost  energy  and 
elasticity.  But  now  the  thought  of  merry 
homes  in  Old  England,  to  which  they  are 
bound,  brings  an  unusual  glow  to  the  cheek 
and  sparkle  to  the  eyes. 

Among  our  passengers  and  my  next  neigh- 
i  >or  at  the  table,  is  a  Greek  priest,  for  twenty 
years  the  "  padre  "  of  the  Greek  church  at 
Calcutta.  PIis  long  white  beard  gives  him  a 
venerable,  patriarchial  appearance,  but  fa  e 
full  of  fun  and  jollity  as  the  youngest, 
and  an  especial  favorite  with  the  children. 
A  Prussian  of  noble  family  sits  on  my  left. 
To  the  disgust  of  his  aristocratic  relations  he 
those  the  life  of  a  merchant  in  India  in 
preference  to  the  career  cf  a  younger  son  in 
the  army;  and  has  boon  so  successful  that 
he  now  returns  home  with  an  ample  fortune 
He  believes  in  Bismarck  and  German  unit) . 
King  "William  and  a  constitutional  monar- 
chy, but  is  more  democratic, J*c  lie  says,  tha*w 
v.  l)on  he  left  Germany  fifteen  years  agqffhe 
bead  steward,  or  "^OTaitre  d>  hotel."  who  is 
known  to  us  by  the  Royal  title  of  Victor 
Emanuel,  is  continually  making  the  most 
comical  mistakes  in  misunderstanding  our 
orders.  But  he  is  something  of  a  war/,  and 
the  twinkle  of  his  keen  black  eyes  implies 
that  he  enjoys  the  fun  as  much  as  ourselves 

"  Our  American   (  .1  complain  of 

no  lack  of  courtesy  on  the  part  of  the  i . 
lish  fellow  passengers;  but  their  ignorance 
of  America  is  amusing,  and  far  exceeds  thai 
of  well  educated  Americans  about  India. 
One  of  them  told  me  he  had  it  on  good  au- 
thority that  the  negroes  had  all  refused  to 
work,  and  the  whole  South  was  in  a  dread- 
ful state  of  anarchy  and  desolation.  That 
ho  expected  to  hear  of  their  marching  on 
Washington,  getting  possession  of  the  gov- 
ernrnent,  and  making  a  negro  president ! 
I  was  seriously  asked  if  there  was  not  a 
state  in  the  South,  somewhere  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  called  "  Susianna.*' 
The  English  in  the  East  nearly  all  sympa- 
thized with  the  rebels,  and  I  have  been 
moved  to  give  them  pretty  strong  doses  of 
the  Northern  Bide  aestion  of  the 


20; 


American  war,  and  the  Alabama  claims.  I 
laugh  at  their  conventual  idea  of  a  Yankee 
as  represented  on  the  stage,  who  is  sup- 
posed to  talk  through  his  nose,  wear  trowsers 
strapped  half  way  up  to  his  knees,  and  a 
hat  and  long-tailed  coat  of  the  last  century. 
The  new  route  from  England  westward  to 
India  is  becoming  better  known  and  more 
popular  every  year,  and  opens  to  these 
Anglo-Indians  newT  and  more  correct  ideas 
of  the  American  continent. 

Our  route  is  westward,  inclining  a  little 
to  the  south,  for  Aden  is  three  hundred  miles 
nearer  the  equator  than  the  last  land  we  saw 
in  India.  This  voyage  has  long  been  dreaded 
as  hot,  wearisome  and  full  of  discomfort. 
But  the  consolation  is  that  it  is  the  last  Ion  g 
sea  trip  before  reaching  Europe.  Sea  voy- 
aging in  the  tropics  has  its  pleasures,  bin 
they  are  not  unmixed.  A  month  later  and 
the  Arabian  Sea  will  be  hot  as  a  furnace, 
and  even  now  the  noonday  sun  pours  down 
so  fiercely  that  the  awnings  are  an  insuffi- 
cient protection,  while  the  air  in  the  cabiiw 
belowT  is  stifling.  We  go  down  to  meals  and 
hurry  up  again  on  deck  leaving  our  dinner 
half  eaten,  and  gasping  for  a  breath  of  fresh 
air.  The  sea  is  calm  and  the  water  smooth 
as  a  mirror.  The  engine  has  broken  down 
and  for  half  a  day  we  float  like  a  ";  painted 
>hip  upon  a  painted  ocean."  The  captain 
and  officers  are  annoyed  at  the  accident  and 
in  bad  humor  so  that  we  do  not  like  to  ask 
questions;  and,  besides,  the  sum  total  i  t' 
Italian  among  the  pass<  ngers  i-  insufficient 
for  much  conversation.  The  nature  of  the 
accident  we  know  not,  but  the  relief  is 
mentally  as  well  as  physically,  when  \w 
once  more  feel  the  jar  of  the  machinery  and 
welcome  the  refreshing  breeze  caused  by  the 
motion  of  the  ship. 

After  eight  days  steaming  over  the  smooth 
and  trackless  Indian  Ocean,  without  once 
seeing  a  sail  or  a  speek  of  land,  we  sight  far 
away  the  high  peaks  and  desolate  crags  of 
Aden,which  at  first  seemed  like  hazy  clouds. 
hut  for  five  hours  have  been  gradually  be- 
coming more  and  more  distinct,  until  ai  sun« 
*et  Ave  anchor  in  a  spacing  sheltered  harbor, 
so  easy  of  access  and  with  water  bo  deep 
that  no  pilot  is  required.  Unless  the  reader 
is  well  posted  in  geography,  or  fond  of  books 
of  travel,  he  may  know  very  little  about 
this  possession  of  England  in  tie1  northwest 
corner  of  the  Arabian  Sea,  which  she  ban 
fortified  like  another  Gibraltar. 

Aden,  the  oTcat  half-wav  coaling  station 


204 

between    the  Mediterranean  and  India,   Is 
situated  on  a  peninsular  that  juts  out  from 

the  Arabian  coast,  and  in  appearance  is  the 
most  desolate,  barren  and  forbidding  place 
that  it  is  possible  to  conceive  of. 
Naked  cliffs  and  volcanic  ridges,  without  u 
tr<  e,  shrub,  or  Bcarcely  a  blade  of  grass,  sur- 
round us  on  every  aide— some  rising  to  the 
height  of  1,800  feet — while  forts  mounting 
heavy  guns,  crown  every  peak,  and  water 
batteries  command  every  part  of  the  harbor 
and  its  entrance.  Two  years  ago,  during  the 
Abyssinian  war,  Aden  was  the  base  of  sup- 
plies for  the  English  troops  operating  again- 1 
King  Theodore.  Then  the  harbor  was  full 
of  ships  of  war  and  transports.  Annesley 
bay,whe2lhe  British  disembarked  to  march 
against  Abyssinia,  is  about  three  hundred 
miles  up  the  coast,  full  of  small,  rocky 
islands,  and  very  difficult  and  dangerous  of 
access.  At  Aden  there  are  daily  arrivals 
and  departures  of  steamers,  plying  through 
the  Suez  canal  between  Europe  and  India 
and  China.  It  is  ninety-six  miles  from  here 
to  the  entrance  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  this 
lonely,  barren  rock,  this  treeless,  grassless, 
black  ruin,  which  can  most  expressively  be 
described  as  "Hell  with  the  fires  put  out," 
where  not  a  drop  of  fresh  water  can  be  had 
i  scepl  that  which  is  caught  from  the  cloud* 
or  condensed  from  the  sea.  is  growing  into  a 
husj  town  with  a  population  of  30,000  peo- 
ple. A  score  of  small  native  craft  are' in  the 
inner  harbor,  and  anchored  around  us  are 
tn  s  or  six  large  steamers  and  as  man 3  sail- 
oips. 
Besides  iis  Important  e  as  a  coaling  station 
Aden  ha-  secured  to  itself  the  export  trade 
in  tfocha  coffee,  amounting  to  20,000tonsa 
;.  ear. 

rachor  is  scarcely  down  when  we  are 
boarded  by  t!i«'  port-officer,  and  live  minutes 
afterwards  I  am  on  ray  waj  ashore  in  hid 
boat.  We  land  at  the  government  pier,  and 
on  the  Bund  are  adozen  two-storied  build- 
ings,  Including  a  hotel,  post-office,  custom- 
liou  -' .  and  a  tow  mercantile  establishment  • 
with  Parsee  names  over  the  doors.  These 
are  the  Greeks  of  the  east,  and  can 
be  found  among  the  most  enterprising  mer- 
chants of  every  city  whelftbe  English  h<>i<i 
•way  (and  whemclo  they  not?)  between 
Ceylon  and  Astrakau.  Here  are  the  ware- 
houses and  w'ater  distilling  machines  of  the 
t\  and  O.  steamship  company,  and  immense 
quantities  of  coals  from  New  Castle  are  piled 
on  the  adjacent  dock-.     This  is  the  "Harbo] 


205 

Landing/'  the  town  and  cantonments  of  the 
troops  is  situated  in  a  hollow  among  the  vol- 
canic hills  fi\e  miies  away. 

The  "Padre-'  and  I  had  an  early  start  the 
next  morning,  before  the  sun  was  visible 
over  the  hills  that  bound  the  horizon  on  the 
east.  Our  steamer  was  already  surrounded 
by  1  he  natives  in  curious  boats,  sonic  of  them 
small  canoes,  scarcely  larger  than  chopping 
bowls,  and  propelled  by  one  man  with  si 
paddle  shaped  like  a  mustard  spoon.  These 
fellows  were  coal  black,  unincumbered 
;:nv  surplus  clothing,  and  ready  to  dive  and 
quarrel  under  the  water  for  the  possession  of 
Hie  smallest  silver  coin  thrown  over  by  the 
passengers.  Other  larger  boats  were  filled 
with  men,  who  held  up  to  us  bunches  of  os- 
trich featchers,  eggs  :ts  big  as  babies'  heads, 
and  corals  of  the  brightest  tints,  which  they 
offered  for  sale  with  great  clamor.  They 
were  not  allowed  to  come  on  board,  for  they 
have  the  reputation  of  being  arrant  thieves, 
and  even  the  ports  below  were,  closed,  lest 
the  insinuating  and  slippery^little  scamps 
should  crawl  up  from  the  boats  into  our 
state  rooms.  We  selected  a  boat  from  the 
score  soliciting  our  patronage,  and  six  naked 
Ethiopians  set  us  ashore  in  a  jiffy.  At  the 
pier  we  engaged  a  dilapidated,  one-horse, 
springless  vehicle  to  convey  us  to  the  town. 
We  had  the  choice  between  this  and  donkeys, 
which  I  would  have  chosen,  but  the  Padre 
objected  on  the  ground  that  his  long  black 
serge  gown  was  not  a  convenient  costume  for 
riding  a  la  Turk. 

The  road  was  hard  and  smooth,  and  for 
half  the  distance  wound  along  the  shore, 
then  turned  inland,  and  wound  with  max 
sharp  curves  through  ravines  and  round  the 
base  of  cliffs  hundreds  of  feet  high,  on  which 
not  a  particle  of  vegetable  life  could  be 
seen.  The  scenery  was  unirpie  and  grand, 
but  the  very  picture  of  desolation.  We  were 
in  high  spirits,  like  a  couple  of  sailors  t  a  king 
a  run  ashore  after  a  long  confinement  on 
ship.  The  Padre  laughed  jovially  at  the  comi- 
cal sights  on  the  road,  sung  snatches  of  songs 
('perhaps  they  were  hymns)  in  his  native 
tongue,  and  seemed  as  full  of  fun  and  frolic 
as  a  boy.  We  met  long  trains  of  camels  and 
dromedaries,  some  ladened  with  bags  of 
•'  Mocha,"  others  earring  each  a  dozen  goat- 
skins of  water  from  a  small  stream 
miles  away  on  the  main  bind.  These  un- 
gainly beasts,  with  crane-like  necksand 
awkward  gait,  plodding  along  in 
each  one  surmounted  by  a  black  urchin. 
perched  high  in  the  nir,  were  in  strong  con- 


206 


Lth  the  little  donkey.-.  Bcarcely  bigger 
than    a   Newfoundland   dog,  and   carrying 

burdens  larger  than  themselves,  or  mounted 
by  natives  whose  feet  dangled  to  the  ground. 
The  people  here  pre  of  every  race  known  in 
the  east,  and  we  met  one  unmistakable 
"  Johnny  "  with  pig-tail  and  slanting,  al- 
mond eyes,  who  told  me  in  ''pigeon  English" 
cook  on  a  steamer  in  the  harbor. 
Hut  most  of  the  natives  we  met  were  Abys- 
sinians,  very  black,  with  Asiatic,  not  negro 
features,  and  hair  cultivated  in  long  cork- 
screw curls,  sticking  out  in  all  directions, 
and  by  the  application  of  lime  faded  out  from 
black  to  a  dingy  brown.  These  shock  heads 
in  which  both  sexes  £  oi  to  take  great 
not  unlike  the  prevailing  style 
of  young  girls'  hair  at  home.  The  appearance 
of  the  women  was  by  no  means  attractive. 
All  wore  enormous  silver  ear  ornaments  and 
nose  rings,  strings  of  glass  beads,  anklets  and 
than  ornamental.  One 
couple  especially  attracted  our  attention. 
They  were  got  up  in  the  most  exquisite 
style  of  Abyssinian  art,  especially  the  yougn 
woman, and  seemed  to  create  quite  a  sensation 
on  the  road.  She  was  profusely  decorated  and 
wore  in  her  nose  a  large  ring  with  the  three 

.  indicating  that  she  was  a  bride. 
Her  " fellar's "  wool,  originally  black,  had 
been  colored  to  a  dingy  blonde,  and 
was    elaborately    curled     until    it 

i     half      bushel      measure.  I 

lady  rode  a  donkey  and  the  groom 
walked  by  her  side  (barefooted,  of 
course),  and  so  absorbed  were  they  in  each 
other  that  we  drove  slowly  by  and  stared  al 
them  without  attracting  their  notice. 

The  entrance  to  the  town  was  through  a 
gorge,  where  for  a  space  of  100  yards 
lis  rose  from  eighty  to  one  hundred 
feet  in  height  on  each  side.  A  in 
rrateway  and  cannon  guarded  the  entrance, 
and  a  squad  of  native  soldiers  in  redcoats 
Mkhs  from  India),  presented  arms  as  v.  < 
passed.  Emerging  from  the  narrow  ravim 
the  town  was  before  us,  occuping  a  basin 
about  a  mile  in  diameter,  evidently  the 
erater  of  an  extinct  volcano.  A  circle  of 
tagged  peaks  surrounded  it,  some  of  them 
covered  with  forts  and  batteries.  Several 
regiments  of  troops  are  quartered  here  in 
airy  stone  cantonments,  forming  a  large  foil 
in  the  centre  of  the  town.  Notwithstand- 
ing its  desolate  and  oven-like  situation, 
Aden  is  said  to  be  quite  healthy  from  Oc- 
tober to  April.  If  the  "fires  are  put  out  » 
during  these  months,  thetcrriric,  schorching 
heat  of  summer  must  give  the  inhabitants  ;i 


2C 


foretaste  of  the  lower  regions  with  the  firk- 
in full  blast; 

.-  The  most  curious  thing  about  Aden  is  th* 
seiies  of  immense  water  tanks,    eleven  in' 
number,   arranged   en  chelon.  in  a  ravine 
opening  to  the  north,  where  the  rain  falling 
upon  a  wide  stretch  of  bare  rocks  is  caught 
and  carried  through  a  succession  of  irregu- 
lar-shaped tanks,  cut  in  the  solid  rocks,  or 
lined    with  masonry.    These  communicate- 
through  gates  and  sluiceways,  and  from  the 
(invest  one  the  water  is  conducted  by  an  un-" 
derground  aqueduct    to    a  largo  reservoir.' 
which  is  always  kepi,  full,  in   the  center  of; 
the  town.    Stone  steps  guarded  by  iron  rail- 
ings lead  up  to  and  around  the  tanks,  each  of 
which  is  numbered  and  marked  with 
parity;  the  aggregate  I  made   to  be  over 
fen  million  gallons.    There  is  sometimes  an, 
interval  of  four  or  live  years  between  the.- 
showers,  but  when  it  does  rain  it  literally, 
pours,  and  then  the  sight  of  these  artificial  \ 
cascades  down  the  gorge   and  from  one  tank  • 
to  another   is   said  to   be   very   beautiful. . 
When  the  English  took  possession  of  Aden 
they  found  these    tanks,    which    are  very 
ancient,  filled  up  with  rubbish.     They  have 
spent  immense  sums  in  cleaning  out,  repair- 
ing and  enlarging  them;  and   they  are  now 
not  only  very  curious  and   interesting,   but 
absolutely  essential  to  the  occupation  of  the 
place. 

Erom  the  lank.-  vt  e  droi  e  through   the  ba- 
zaars which  are  very  filthy  and  mean,  with 
more  gew-gaws  of  European    manufacture 
than  native  goods.    The  specialities  of  Aden 
are  ostrich  and  marabout  feathers,  ostrich 
eggs,    leopard    and    lion  skins,   which    we 
found  very  cheap.    The  Padre's  profuseness., 
in  expenditure  for  ostrich  eggs  and  feathers 
was  only  surpassed  by    his  generosity    in 
scattering  small  change  among  the  crowd  of 
beggars,  that  beset  us  on  every  side.    This  ' 
was  pleasant  enough  at  first,  but  the  rumor 
spread  that  the  venerable  looking  old  patri- 
arch was  a  real  Crcesus;  and  we  were  soon  ' 
surrounded  by  such  numbers  as  to  block  up 
our  way,  and  were  glad  to  take  refuge  in  our 
crazy  vehicle  and  whip  up  our  boney  Eo-  ' 
Mnante.    But  escape  was  not  so  easy,  for  a 
crowd  followed  us  at  full  run,  ■  and,  despite 
our  efforts,  kept  along  side,-  hold"  out  their 
hands  and  screaming  for  backsheesh,  like  a 
pack  of  half-famished  wolves.    While  I  be-  ' 
labored  the  poor  horse  the  Padre  threw  the  ' 
coin  as  tar  as  he  could  on  either  side,  which. 
as  they  stopped  to  scramble  for,  we  at  last 
escaped  being  devoured.    Before  we  reached 
thfe  wharf  we  beard  the  warning  gun  from 


208 

our  steamer,   and  hurried  on  board  just  as 
'bc  was  getting  under  -weigh. 

Ten  hours  from  Aden  we  come  to  the  lit- 
Ue  British  island  of  Perim  at  the  entrance 
oftheRedSea.  Here  is  a  lighthouse  and 
flagstaff,  but  as  yet  no  fortifications.  This 
key  which  commands  the  gates  is  a  rocky 
inland  some  acres  in  extent,  situated  in  mid 
channel,  and  we  pass  so  near  that  a  biscuit 
might  be  tossed  from  the  high  rock  on  board 
our  steamer.  The  Suez  canal  being  a 
French  work  and  Egypt  under  French  in- 
fluence, the  seizure  of  Perim  by  the  Eng- 
lish was  especially  annoying  to  their  neigh- 
bors. It  happened  in  this  wise:  The  French 
Emperor  had  determined  to  take  possession 
of  the  little  island,  and  despatched  a  fleet  for 
that  purpose  which  put  into  Aden  for  coal. 
The  Governor,  of  course,  invited  the  French 
Admiral  and  his  oflicrs  to  dinner,  and  re- 
galed them  with  unexceptionable  cham- 
pagne. In  the  course  of  the  evening  some 
of  the  junior  officers  "let  on"  that  they 
were  bound  to  Perirn.  The  shrewd  old  gov- 
ernor, penciled  a  note  to  the  harbor  master 
to  delay  the  coaling  of  the  French  ships ; 
and  the  same  night  two  British  men-of-war 
left  Aden  and  started  up  the  coast.  The 
next  day  after  a  ceremonious  leave-taking, 
and  courteous  farewell  to  their  British  hosts, 
the  French  fleet  sailed  for  Perim.  But 
when  they  arrived  to  their  great  mortifica- 
tion and  chagrin,  they  found  the  British 
flag  flying  and  a  great  show  of  guns  in  posi- 
tion. "Whether  they  put  into  Aden  on  their 
return  history  does  not  say. 

Fifty  miles  above  Perim,  on  the  east 
coast,  we  pass  within  sight  of  the  half-de- 
serted coftec  city  of  Mocha.  Its  minarets 
glitter  in  the  morning  sun,  and  a  few  small 
native  craft  can  be  seen  in  the  harbor,"  but 
it  is  no  longer  a  place  of  any  commercial  im- 
portance, the  trade  in  its  principal  staple 
having  been  transferred  to  Aden. 

That  the  navigation  of  the  Red  Sea  is  both 
difficult  and  dangerous  is  testified  by  the 
many  .wrecks  scattered  along  its  coasts.  For 
thirteen  hundred  miles  there  is  but  one  light 
house,  which  is  located  on  a  rock  nearly  in 
the  center  of  the  sea.  The  channel  is  not 
wide,  and  near  the  shores  are  many  danger- 
ous rocks  and  treacherous  currents.  They 
fay  the  wind  on  the  Red  Sea  is  always 
ahead,  whether  a  vessel  is  bound  up  or 
down.  The  shores  which  are  either  barren, 
f-andy  deserts,  or  sparsely  inhabited  by  hos- 
tile tribes  of  Arabs,  offer  no  hospitable  re- 
ception to  the  shipwrecked  sailor.  Why  it  i* 
/-.ailed  "  Red  n  is  a  mystery.     1  could  not  see 


-  * 


any  -*- 

Weak,  sandy  shore?,  or  Toleari 
Our  fir>t  three  day- 

Then  th  to  to  give     -  i 

of  its  quality.  A  fierce  gale  -prang  up  from 
the  north  and  sweeping  down  right  in  our 
.-  to  lose  half  our  speed,  a  :-- 
feet  in  the  machinery  now,  and  wi  dMwld 
have  been  driven  back  before  the  gale,  or 
been  dashed  upon  some  i-land  or  rook. 

erature  has   suddenly  fallen  under  this 
fierce  north  wind,  and  linen  ha*  ei\    ..  pla   . 

Our    Indian    friends   fee: 
change  keenly,  and  th*snativf-  servants  look 
-     m  -  -        •  r  in  whit» 

i,  i     I   repent  * 
ed  to  leave  their  sunny  India-    Bu: 
oner  poshes  steadily  though   at 

times  making  but  four  or  five  miles  an  hour- 
reaching  the  "Gulf  Sv  ."'the  list 
ene  hundred  i  9  is  in  -moother  water. 
Mount  Sinai  is  now  -e^n  far  away  on  our 
right,  its  summit  wreathed  in  .-is; 

but  between  u-  and  its  hat      -  -  - ' 

-  .nd  hills  and  bar  read 

somewhere  that  when  this  -       11  1  and 

it—     hich      U       -  — the     ehai 

wheels  of  the  Egyptian  hosts  may 
beneath  the  wares.     We  "Arabians**  unani- 

•  ith  old  Pharaoh  that  thr  I 
Sea  is  a  ui -agreeable  and  treacherous  pie- 
water;  and  we  m  - 

-.iez.  W*.  P.  I  . 


NUMBER  THIRTY. 

The  Suez  Canal— An  Accomplished  Pact 
— Eeasons  Alleged  for  Its  Failure—- 
Bugbears  Exploded— Ferdinand  de 
Lesseps— Is  it  a  Pecuniary  Success  ?— 
Eates  of  Toll— New  Lines  of  Steamers 
.  —The  Tides— Width,  Depth  and  Kate 
of  Speed  Allowed— Mammoth  Dredg- 
ing Machines— Lac  Anier— LakeTirnsah 
—  Ismaiiia — Lake  Menzaleh — Port 
Said,  the  Silver  G-ate— The  Sweet 
Water  Canal— "  Water  is  Gold"- 
"Have  a  Shine,  Sir"— A  Showy  Old 
Turk— Across  the  Desert— Egyptian 
Soldiers— An  Amusing  Sight— Mud 
Hovels  for  Peasants  and  Palaces  for 
Princes— Arrive  at  Grand  Cairo. 

Cairo,  Egypt,  March,  1871. 
The  Suez  canal,  one  of  the  greatest  achieve- 
ments of  the  century,  was  opened  at  the 
grand  fete  in  November,  18G9,  at  which  the 
Empress  Eugenie  assisted.  It  was  then  / 
fully  described  by  special  correspondents 
ail  over  the  world. 

"What  I  propose  to  say  now  is  that  which 
L  have  myself  seen,  and  Blich  items  as  I  have 
been  able  to  gather  in  regard  to  its  practical 
working,  a  matter  which,  eighteen  months 
ago,  was  all  conjecture,  and  about  which 
the  letter  writers  di  tie  red  so  widely.  Thai 
it  is  now  an  accomplished  fact,  and  a  sucees-, 
no  one  with  his  eyes  open  can  deny.  As 
Larduer  scouted  the  idea  of  ships  propelled 
by  steam  ever  crossing  the  Atlantic,  so 
Stephenson,  the  great  engineer,  and  tin- 
English  generally  for  years  insisted  that  the 
Suez  canal  would  be  a  failure.  Perhaps 
"the  wish  was  father  to  the  thought."  Tin- 
English  government,  too,  must  now  feel 
heartily  ashamed  of  its  intrigues  with  tu 
Sultan  to  throw  obstacles  in  the  way  of  this 
great  work,  from  that  national  jealousy  of 
the  French  which  Beems  Inbred  in  every  • 
Englishman— on  the  ground  of  philanthropy 
in  behalf  of  the  forced  and  unpaid  labor  of 
the  Egyptians— for  no  nation  i<  now  reaping 
so  much  benelit  from  this  new  route  ot 
steamers  to  India  a-  the  English  people 
[hemselvesi 

The  first  great  bugbear  was  the  fancied 
difference  in  level  between  the  Red  Sea  and 
the  Mediterranean,  bv  which  locks  would  be 


211 


required,  in  accordance  with  the  report  of  a 
commission  sent  out  by  Napoleon  I.  in  1798; 
This  idea  was  exploded  by  more  accurate 
surveys  made  fifty  years  afterward*.  The 
next  objection  was  that  the  channel  would 
have  to  be  made  through  hopeless  quicksands 
at  the  southern  or  Suez  end,  and  through 
centuries  of  Nile  ooze  at  the  northern  part 
near  the  Mediterranean,  where  no  channel 
could  be  made  permanent,  but  the  more  you 
dug  and  dredged  the  worse  it  would  be.  This 
obstacle  disappeared  when  it  was  proved 
that  for  most  of  the  route  the  banks  of  the 
canal  would  not  be  of  fluid  sand,  but  of  mud, 
clay  and  shelly  earth— that  below  the  Nile 
ooze  and  slippery  mud  of  Lake  3Ienzaleh 
there  was  a  "hard  pan"  of  clay,  which, 
thrown  up,  gave  solidity  to  the  banks— and 
that  so  small  a  portion  of  the  route  passed 
through  loose  sand  that  no  real  trouble 
threatened  the  canal  from  the  instability  of 
its  banks.  These  objections  being  disposed 
of,  it  was  then  urged  that  the  sand  drift 
from  the  sirroccos  of  the  desert  would  refill 
the  canal  as  fast  as  it  could  be  removed, 
thereby  causing  such  immense  expense  in 
keeping  the  channel  open,  as  to  ruin  the 
great  enterprise  financially.  But  it  has  been 
demonstrated  by  experience  that  not  more 
than  five  miles  of  its  entire  length  is  liable 
to  this  drifting  in  of  the  sand;  and  at  these 
places  the  encroachments  of  sand  never  ex- 
ceed two  yards  in  depth  a  month,  which 
the  company  has  contracted  to  be  removed, 
at  no  great  expense,  as  fast  as  it  accumu- 
lates. 

To  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps,  the  "  Fonda- 
teur"  of  the  canal,  as  he  is  called,  the  world 
is  indebted  for  having  pushed  through  this 
magnificent  work  in  the  face  of  every  ob- 
stacle, real  and  imaginary.  With  perfect 
iaith  in  the  eventual  success  of  the  enter- 
prise, like  Cyrus  W.  Field  of  Atlantic  cable 
memory,  he  persevered  when  less  sanguine 
men  would  have  given  up  in  despair;  and 
to  him  belongs  the  credit  of  having  opened 
this  second  Gibraltar  inlet  and  outlet  to  the 
commerce  of  the  world.  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  31.  de  Lesseps  in  Suez— a  tine- 
looking  man  of  sixty,  with  more  brains  than 
half  the  potentates  of  Europe,  whose  name 
should  rank  with  Bismarck  as  one  of  the 
great  men  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

It  is  true  that  the  Suez  canal  is  a  French 
work,  but  it  is  not  owned,  nor  in  any  way 
controlled  by  the  French  government.  Of 
the  400,000  shares  representing  the  stock, 
176,000  belong  to  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt, 
Ismail    Facha,  without    whose    active  ana 


212 


energetic  assistance  it  nei  er  could  have  been 
completed.  The  balance  of  the  stock  be- 
longs to  individuals,  mostly  Frenchmen. 
The  first  "  Act  of  Concession n  from  the 
Egyptian  government  for  a  canal  across  the 
Isthmus  of  Suez  was  granted  in  1851.  Then 
followed  five  years  of  preliminary  surveys 
and  preparations,  and  the  first  ground  was 
broken  at  Port  Said  in  1859.  The  i.ed  Sea 
entered  and  mingled  with  the  waters  of  the 
Mediterranean  on  the  loth  of  August,  1869. 
But  it  was  not  until  about  the  1st  of  Janua- 
ry, 1870,  that  this  thoroughfare,  which  all 
ages  have  wished  for,  but  till  now  in  vain, 
was  opened  as  a  highway  to  the  commerce 
of  the  world. 

And  now  after  fifteen  months  trial  it  will 
be  asked  whether  this  costly  wort 
pecuniary  success.  Probably  not  as  yet. 
The  preferred  stock  last  issued  was  guaran- 
teed 5  per  cent.— but  to  realize  this  dividend 
on  its  whole  cost  requires  an  income  of  four 
millions  dollars  a  year,  and  two  millions  more 
for  running  expenses,  repairs  and  manage- 
ment. The  rate  of  toll  is  two  dollars  a  ton 
register  on  every  steamer,  and  two  dollars 
for  every  passenger;  sailing  ships  half  that 
rate,  beside  pilotage,  etc.  It  costs  the  steamer 
I  am  on  SI, GOO  for  passing  through  the  canal, 
which  seems  a  large  sum  for  one  day's  toll, 
but  it  is  a  trifle  compared  with  the  e 
of  sending  her  around  Cape  Horn.  T< 
the  canal  pay  from  tolls  alone  would  require 
live  such  steamers  to  pass  each  way 
every  day ;  and  at  present  I  am  told  that  the 
average  is  about  half  that  number.  But  the 
Suez  Canal  Company  has  other  sou  i 
income.  The  Viceroy  made  liberal  gran!  -  of 
land  to  the  company,  a  part  of  which  Lave 
since  reverted  to  him  in  consideration  i  f  a 
large  sum  of  ready  money ;  but  50  p<  I 
of  all  land  sales  in  the  towns  of  For 
lsmailia  and  Suez,  where  the  company  owns 
large  tracts  of  valuable  property,  comes  Into 
Its  treasury  land  since  the.  opening  of  the 
canal  new  lines  of  passenger  and  freight 
Bteamers  have  been  established,  by  which 
Russia,  Austria,  Italy  and  France  are  coming 
into  competition  with  England  for  the  trade 
of  the  Fast.  When  all  the  steamers  now 
building  for  this  purpose  are  afloat,  it  is  es- 
timated that  the  daily  arrivals  and  depart- 
ures at  Port  Said  will  be  doubled. 

During  our  half  day's  detention  at  Suex 
we  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  this  old 
town,  which  within  a  few  years  has  taken  a 
new  lease  of  life.  The  harbor  is  mostly  ar- 
tificial, and  contains  a  splendid  stone  dry- 
Jock  built    for    the    Khedive,  or    Viceroy. 


21S 

Anchored  in  the  roads  outside  I  counted  not 
less  than  twelve  war  steamers  flying  the 
Turkish  or  Egyptian  colors,  the  "  Crescent 
and  Star." 

At  noon  the  "  Arabia,"  under  the  charge 
of  a  pilot,  steamed  slowly  toward  the  en- 
trance to  the  canal,  and  was  soon  enclosed 
between  two  walls  of  sand.  There  is  here 
neither  "  tow-path "  nor  "heel-path,"  and 
little  to  remind  an  American  of  his  former 
experience  who  has  in  old  times  traveled  on 
the  "  raging  eanawl "  in  New  York  or  Ohio. 
All  measurements  and  distances  being  in 
French  meters,  kilometers  and  hectares,  I 
will,  for  the  convenience  of  the  reader,  re- 
duce them  to  English.  Our  steamer  draws 
sixteen  feet,  but  under  her  keel  is  six  feet  to 
spare,  which  is  increased  three  feet  more  at 
high  tide.  And  here  I  may  as  well  explain 
the  matter  of  tides.  The  ordinary  rise  and 
fall  of  the  tide  at  Port  Said,  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean, is  one  and  a  half  feet,  and  at  Suez 
three  and  a  half  feet.  At  the  Equinox  the 
maximum  rise  and  fall  is  about  double. 

There  being  no  gates  or  locks  to  interfere 
with  the  free  inflow  and  egress  of  the  ocean 
at  either  end,  the  tides  slightly  effect  the 
depth  of  water  in  the  canal,  and  produce  a 
current  which  never  exceeds  two  miles  an 
hour,  and  is  lost  in  the  lakes  which  form 
over  one-half  the  whole  course.  At  the 
water  line  the  width  of  the'eanal  when  fin- 
ished according  to  its  enlarged  scale  will  bo 
three  hunred  feet,  the  depth  thirty  feet,  and 
the  breadth  at  the  bottom  seventy  feet. 
This  will  give  space  enough  for  the  keels  of 
two  large  ships  to  pass  each  other  without 
inconvenience.  At  present  the  average 
w  idth  is  about  two  hundred  feet,  with  not 
loss  than  twenty-four  feet  of  water  in  the 
shallowest  spots.  At  frequent  intervals 
there  are  wider  basins  where  ships  can  meet 
and  pass  each  other.  The  management  i* 
by  telegraph,  and  every  few  miles  we  see 
upon  the  banks  a  neatly  fitted  up  telegraph 
station,  from  which  the  position  of  even- 
ship  in  the  canal  is  reported  at  head- 
quarters. The  maximum  speed  allowed  is 
eight  miles  an  hour,  which  would  take  a 
ship  through  the  ninety-six  miles  between 
Suez  and  Fort  Said  in  twelve  hours,  but  no 
steaming  is  allowed  after  dark,  so  that  we 
ran  only  reach  Ismailia,  the  halfway  station 
to-night. 

From  the  deck  of  our  steamer  the  view  is 
unique.  We  are  high  out  of  the  water  and 
r  can  see'over  the  top  of  the  banks  a  deserr 
of  sand  strethcingaway  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach.    Near  the  entrance  at  Suez  and  moor- 


214 


eel  to  the  banks  we  notice  mammoth  dredg- 
ing machine?,  built  entirely  of  iron.  These 
were  not  only  constructed  but  invented  by 
rhe  contractors  to  meet  the  special  difficul- 
ties and  requirements  of  this  service.  Ten 
of  these  gigantic  machines,  the  use  of  which 
I  never  should  imagine  if  I  had  seen  them 
anywhere  else,  cost  eighty  thousand  dollars 
each,  and  twenty-five  steam  barges  to  carry 
offthe  dirt  brought  up  by  the  excavators. 
cost  fifty  thousand  dollars  each.  That  the^o 
were  built  by  the  contractors  will  give  an 
idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  work. 

Four  hours  slowly  steaming  through  the 
desert  brought  us  to  the  Lac  Amer  or  "Bit- 
ter Lake.-'  This  was  an  oval  depression  in 
the  hind,  directly  in  the  track  of  the  pro- 
posed canal,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
originally  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez.  Tho 
receding  of  the  water  of  the  Bed  Sea  left  it 
an  inland  basin,  from  which  the  water 
has  long  ago  evaporated.  Upon  the  bed  of 
this  hollow  was  a  layer  ofsalt,in  many  places 
several  feet  in  thickness.  When  the  water 
of  the  Bed  Sea  was  again  let  into  this  bed  it 
formed  a  ready-made  canal,  twenty-one 
miles  long,  in  the  widest  part  ten  miles 
across,  aud  deep  enough  for  the  largest 
ship.  The  water  dissolving,  the  salt  accu- 
mulated in  the  bed  of  the  lake  is  very  bitter. 
and  hence  the  name  given  to  it.  Steaming 
more  rapidly  through  this  we  came  to  an- 
other section  of  the  canal  proper,  eight 
miles  long,  which  connects  the  Bitter  Lake 
with  Lake  Timsah,  six  miles  across,  upon 
the  western  shore  of  which  is  the  new  de-- 
ert-founded  city  of  Ismailia.  From  here  to 
Port  Said  is  forty-live  miles,  of  which  three 
is  through  Lake  Timsah,  nineteen  across  tho 
desert,  and  then  twenty-six  miles  to  tho 
Mediterranean,  through  the  shallow  water 
and  deep  mud  of  Lake  Menzaleh.  This 
formed  a  part  of  the  ^'ile  delta,  and  was 
originally  one  of  its  outlets.  To  excavate  a 
ship  canal  through  the  soft  slippery  mud  of 
this  marsh,  with  banks  that  would  stand  ih* 
rush  of  the  Mediterranean  within,  and  the 
occasional  storms  on  the  lake  outside,  for  a 
long  time  battled  the  utmost  ingenuity  and 
skill  of  the  engineers.  But  when  it  was  dis- 
covered that  by  going  deep  enough  they 
would  come  to  a  strong,  tenacious  clay,  un- 
derlying the  centuries  of  Nile  ooze,  which 
being  thrown  out  and  mixed  with  the  mud 
would  form  a  solid  bank,  this  difficulty  was 
overcome.  This  double  dyke  is  three  or 
four  feet  high,  and  within  it  is  buried  the 
iron  pipe  through  which  the  great  "Pompt- 
a-fcu'-    (steam   pump   works    .      [gmailia, 


21, 


forces  all  the  water-supply  for  the  15,000  in- 
habitants of  Port  Said,  which  U  brought  to 
IsmaUia  by  the  "  Sweet-water  canal "  from 
the  Nile. 

Port  Said  is  a  lively  town.  The  popula- 
tion is  made  up  in  great  part  of  adventurers 
from  every  nation  bordering  the  Mediter- 
ranean. The  abounding  hotel.-,  restaurant?, 
casinos,  and  the  wide,  sandy  streets,  remind 
one  of  a  new  town  in  America.  French, 
Italian,  Greek,  Arabic  and  Turkish  are 
heard  in  the  streets  quite  as  often  as  Eng- 
lish. Speculation  is  rife,  and  the  business  of 
the  place  increasing  rapidly.  Every  line  of 
coasting  steamers  between  Alexandria  and 
Constantinople  touch  here,  as  it  has  the 
most  desirable  harbor  on  the  whole  southern 
coast  of  the  Mediterranean.  The  sanguine 
talk  of  Port  Said  as  the  "Silver  Gate  between 
the  Orient  and  the  Occident,"  in  fifty  years 
to  be  anotherVenice,  the  rival  of  Alexandria. 
Its  harbor  is  entirely  artificial ;  formed  by 
two  parallel  piers  running  out  from  the 
shore  into  the  open  sea  a  mile  and  a  half— 
the  longest  piers  in  the  world.  They  are 
built  of  artificial  blocks  cf  stone  weighing 
twenty  tons  each,  composed  of  desert  sand 
and  hydraulic  cement.  Some  of  these  have 
been  exposed  for  over  six  years  to  all  the  fury 
of  the  fiercest  gales  without  in  the  lease  effect- 
ing their  stability.  This  harbor  is  said  to  bo 
better  than  that  of  Alexandria  (one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  west),  and  can  be  safely  en- 
tered day  or  night  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

Having  thus  made  a  rapid  survey  of  the 
whole  length  of  the  canal  from  Suez  to  Port 
Said,  we  will  return  to  Ismailia,  which  is 
connected  with  Cairo  by  a  railway  across 
the  desert,  where  six  years  ago,  was  a  track- 
less desert  on  the  shore  of  the  salt  lake  Tin> 
sah,  without  a  tree  or  shrub  within  sight ; 
there  is  now  a  pretty  town  of  5,000  people, 
with  an  excellent  hotel  and  several  hand- 
some residences  surrounded^  by  gardens. 
The  old  bed  of  the  canal,  built  perhaps  by 
the  Pharaohs,  connecting  a  branch  of  the 
Nile  with  the  Bed  Sea  at  Suez,  and  passing 
near  this  spot,  has  been  widened  and  deep- 
ened so  as  to  supply  with  fresh  water  this 
town  and  Port  Said,  forty-five  miles 
That  "  Water  is  Gold  "  is  as  1  rue  in  Egypt 
as  in  India.  Its  magic  effect 
in        converting       a       d  •  [to        a 

garden  I  have  already  seen   in   Salt    Lake 
City.  The  public  square  and  the  wide 
are  planted  with  shade  trees,  near  which, 
along  the  gutters  trickles  a  stream  of  pure , 
fresh  water.    Behind  the  town,  and  between 


216 


it  and  the  desert,  is  a  wide  sweeping  double 
crescent  of  trees  growing  newly  out  of  the 
sand,  but  fresh  and  green  from  a  channel  of 
water  running  near  their  roots.  "When  fully 
grown  these  trees  will  protect  the  town  from 
the  encroachment  of  sand  swept  in  before 
the  fierce  sirroccos  from  the  desert.  This 
sand,  which  looks  so  hopeless  and  useless  as 
an  element  cf  fertility,  is  not  pure  silicious 
Band,  but  a  mixture  of  calcarious  loam  and 
sand,  needing  only  the  addition  of  fresh  wa- 
ter to  form  a  rich  and  fertile  soil.  The  desert 
of  Suez,  which  stretches  for  ninety  miles 
from  the  Nile  t©  the  Red  Sea,  was  doubtless 
once  well-watered  and  fertile,  and  cultivated 
like  a  garden.  That  it  has  now  become  a 
howling  wilderness  is  accounted  for  by  some 
depression  of  the  Nile  bed,  or  change  in  its 
course,  by  which  its  eastern  outlets  have  be- 
come closed.  As  it  never  rains  in  this  coun- 
try, cut  off  the  supply  of  water  and  it  would 
all  turn  to  a  desert.  Take  away  the  Nile  from 
Egypt  and  the  whole  land  would  become  a 
mere  continuation  of  the  desert  of  Suez. 

One  of  the  first  signs  of  western  civiliza- 
tion I  saw  in  Ismailia  were  the  boot  blacks, 
a  dozen  or  more  little  black  imps,  who  look- 
ed as  if  they  might  have  slept  the  night  be- 
fore in  the  dry-goods  boxes  of  Ann  street, 
or  the  Bowery,  surrounded  the  door  of  the 
"  Hotel  Pagnon,"  with  t;  black  your  boots,'' 
"have  a  shine,  Sir,"  in  pantomime  just  as 
plain  as  if  spoken  in  English.  Of  course  I 
went  in  for  a  "  shine. "  The  whole  double- 
handed  performance, concluding  wi|;h  a  sharp 
rap  on  the  box,  was  so  completely  a  la  New 
York,  that  I  am  sure  it  never  originated  in 
this  out  of  the  way  corner  of  Asia  and 
Africa,  but  was  introduced  by  some  enter- 
prising New  York  gamin,  probably  at  the 
great  celebration  when  the  canal  was  opened. 
Perhaps,  like  the  wandering  Jew,  he  is  still 
on  his  travel*,  and  future  explorers  may 
trace  this  '•march  of  civilization-'  among  the 
little  "pigtail&jl  of  Canton  and  Pekin. 

While  waiting  for  the  train  at  the  railway 
station  I  saw  on  the  platform  an  old  grey- 
bearded  Turkish  officer,  with  bright  turban, 
loose  blue  trousers,  and  cashmere  shawl  tied 
round  his  waist,  in  which  was  stuck  a  pair 
of  handsome  silver  mounted  pistols.  He 
wore  an  elegant  sword,  scimiter  shaped,  in  a 
silver  scabbard,  and  was  what  my  English 
friend  called  a  M  great  swell"  among  the 
humble  fellahs,  or  Egytian  peasants,  around 
him.*  Nothing  daunted  by  his  formidable 
appearance,  I  saluted  him  courteously,  and 
by  pantomime  expre-sed  my  admiration  of 
his  ornament;  which  su  g]  atified  him  that  he 


217 


unbuckled  liis  scimiter  for  me  to  examine. 
Though  silver  mounted  and  very  handsome 
i  found  it  exceedingly  dull  and  even  rust)  . 
The  pistols  were  old  fashioned  flint-locks, 
without  any  flin£Uok8 ;  and  upon  a  close 
examination  I  could  see  that  his  whole  '*'  get 
up"  was  more  for  show  than  use.  With  my 
little  "Smith  &  Wesson  n  and  a  goodstoui. 
club  I  should  have  been  more,  than  a  match 
for  him  at  close  quarters. 

This  railway,  like  all  in  Egypt,  is  owned 
by  the  Viceroy.  It  is  smooth  and  well 
equipped,  the  cars  and  loeomotives  of  French 
manufacture.  Our  course  for  three  hours 
was  over  a  sandy  desert,  that  resembled  the 
white  alkali  plains  of  the  Humbolt  Valley. 
The  line  of  the  ''Sweet  Water  Canal"  could 
be  traced  far  away  on  our  left,  its  green 
trees  and  narrow  strip  of  fertile  soil,  the 
only  relief  to  the  eye  in  all  that  barren 
waste.  The  train  halts  for  a  moment  at  the 
edge  of  the  desert,  and  as  if  by  magic,  the 
howling  wilderness  is  transformed  into  a 
beautifully  cultivated  land,  where  every 
acre  seems  like  a  girden.  No  better  evi- 
dence is  wanted  of  the  abject  poverty  and 
degredation  of  the  laboring  class  than  their 
miserable  hovels,  that  look  far  less  lit  for  hu- 
man beings  to  dwell  in  than  the  worst  mud 
huts  I  have  seen  in  India. 

At  a  station  a  few  miles  further  on  an 
amusing  scene  occurred.  Near  by  is  an  en- 
campment of  perhaps  a  thousand  Egyptian 
soldiers.  They  wear  a  neat,  white  undress 
uniform,  are  of  fair  size,  and  look  well  fed 
and  serviceable.  Their  arms  are  breech- 
loading  rifles  of  modern  pattern.  The  offi- 
cers are  dressed  in  dark  blue  frock  coats  and 
redtrowsers — and  all,  officers  and  men. 
wear  the  red  fez  cap.  As  soon  as  the  train 
stops  the  soldiers  make  a  rush  for  the  cars, 
and  clamber  over  them  in  every  direction. 
The  oflicers,  armed  with  rattans,  beat  them 
back  with  solid  whacks,  laid  on  with 
a  will.  No  one  seems  to  take 
offense,  and  they  run  like  a  flock  of  sheep. 
To  submit  thus  to  blows  showrs  a  want  of 
manliness  and  spirit  characteristic  of  the 
modern  Egyptian.  It  would  never  be  sub- 
mitted to  by  the  soldiers  of  any  civilized  na- 
tion. Even  in  India  a  blow  from  an  officer 
would  fire  the  blood  of  the  lowest  Sepoy, 
and  result  either  in  immediate  vengeance,  or 
by  suicids  of  the  poor  fellow,  whose  self-re- 
spect would  be  forever  lost  by  such  an  out- 
rage. Leaving  the  ''scrimmage"  in  full 
blast  we  speed  on,  past  more  collections  of 
mud  huts,  through  long  stretehes  of  meadows 


2  IS 


made  amazingly  fruitful  by  the  eun-quick- 
nied  slime  which  the  river  leaves  behind 
after  its  annual  rise,  richer  far  than  bone- 
dust  or  guano;  past  fat  cattle  browsing  in 
rich  pastures,  like  Pharoah's  fat  kine,  in 
striking  contrast  to  the  lean,  ragged  peas- 
ants or  fellaheen  at  work  in  the  fields;  past 
rows  of  graceful  palms  shooting  up  like  so 
many  obelisks,  behiud  which  we  catch  a 
glimpse  of  one  of  the  Viceroy's  many  palaces : 
and  now  the  tall  minarets  of  "  Grand  Cairo  ? 
arc  before  us.  W.  P.  F. 


BOUND  THE  WOELD. 

NUMBER  THIRTY-OXE. 

Cairo— Church  Bells  do  not  make  a  Sab- 
bath—Dragomen— Scenes  in  Trout  of 
the  Hotel— Peddlers  and  Mountebanks 
—Donkeys  and  Donkey  Boys— A"Donk" 
with  an  Illustrious  Name— The  Pez— 
The  Bazaars— Sprinkling  Machines— 
The  "  Light  of  the  Harem  "-Old 
Abraham  Comes  to  Grief— The  Cita- 
del —  The  Mamelukes'  Leap  —  The 
Great  Mosque— Island  of  Ehoda— 
Moses  in  the  Bulrushes— The  Kilome- 
ter—Joseph's  Granaries— The  Shoobra 
Gardens— A  Mohamedan's  Paradise- 
Mohamet  Ali— Heliopolis— The  Vir- 
gins' Sycamore  Tree— Dancing  Der- 
vishes. 

[From  our  Special  Correspondent.] 

Cairo,  August  24. 
The  sound  of  a  sweet  toned  bell  woke  me 
early  this  morning,  and  for  a  moment  it 
seemed  that  I  must  be  once  more  in  a 
Christian  land;  but  a  glance  from  my  win- 
dow across  the  little  garden  by  the  side  of 
the  hotel  showed  the  sun  rising  over  the 
domes  and  minarets  of  the  capital  of  Egypt, 
and  in  the  streets  below  were  long  lines  of 
camels,  crowds  of  swarthy  Egyptians  all 
wearing  the  universal  red  fez  cap,  and  in- 
numerable donkeys  half  buried  under  enor- 
mous burdens  of  fresh  cut  grass.  A  sonorous 
bray  from  one  of  these  would  for  the 
moment  drown  all  other  sounds,  even  the 
chatter  and  clamor  of  their  masters,  which 
is  uimcotiBttiqf  except  during  the  hours  of 
darkness.  I  now  fully  realized  that  I  was 
not  in  America,  nor  in  any  other  civilized 
land,  and  that  the  sound  of  the  bell  did  not 
bring  with  it  the  Christian  Sabbath.  Open- 
ing the  door  I  clap  my  hands  and  a  native 
servant  appears  with  a  tray  on  which  are 
cafe-au-lait,  eggs  and  bread,  ihc  regular 
breakfast  is  not  served  until  twelve  o'clock. 
Around  the  porch  of  the  hotel,  which  faces 
a  large  and  handsome  square,  is  a  scene  full 
of  amusement  and  novelty  to  the  strauger. 
But  before  I  can  reach  the  door  I  am  assailed 
by  a  crowd  of  gaily-dressed  dragomen  and 
guides,   all  most  anxious  to  serve  me,  eacji 


220 

provided  with  a  handful  of  testimonials  in 
various  European  languages.  But  I  have 
learned  by  experience  that  this  class  are  al- 
most universally  a  set  of  thieves  and  swind- 
lers preying  upon  strangers,  and  their  exac- 
tions are  only  limited  by  the  ignorance  or 
weakness  of  those  who  may  fall  into 
their  hands.  It  is  a  Levantine  proverb 
that  the  three  nuisances  of  the  East 
are  plague,  fire  and  dragomen.  So  for  the 
present  I  decline  their  urgent  offers  of  ser- 
vice, and  stand  at  the  door  watching  the 
curious  scene.  Here  are  a  dozen  pedlers  of 
antique  relics  from  the  pyramids,  (probably 
bogtis)  canes,  bright  silk  scarfs  and  turban* ; 
another  enterprising  dealer  has  a  basket  full 
of  young  alligators  or  crocodiles,  about  a 
foot  long,  and  holding  up  one  of  these  charm- 
ing productions  of  the  Nile  urges  me  to  buy 
it — 'only  one  franc,  sar."  On  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  street  a  mountebank  is  swal- 
lowing swords  and  snakes,  surrounded  by 
an  admiring  crowd  of  donkey  boys,  cab- 
drivers  and  "hangers-on."  Dogs  without 
number  fill  every  vacant  space,  their  snarl- 
ing and  barking  now  and  then  varied,  w^heu 
a  vigorous  kick  sends  them  yelping  away. 
A  private  carnage  drawn  by  a  pair  of  hand- 
some Arabs  drives  rapidly  by,  and  in  front 
of  the  horses  run  two  Nubians  with  long 
white  rods  screaming  to  the  people  to  get 
out  of  the  way. 

But  a  new  face  is  descried  by  the  donkey 
boys  and  they  go  for  me  at  once.  These 
boys  and  donkeys  together  form  an  institu- 
tion without  which  Cairo  would  lo^se  half 
its  attractions.  The  latter  are  generally  fat 
and  tough,  and  endowed  with  all  the  lazi- 
ness and  obstinacy  of  their  race.  The  large 
soft  saddles  are  covered  with  red  morrocco, 
and  the  trappings  are  flashy  and  ornamented 
with  cowrie  shells.  The  stirrup  straps  are 
not  fastened  to  the  saddle,  but  merely  pass 
over  it,  and  unless  the  boy  holds  the  oppo- 
site one,  in  mounting  or  dismounting,  you 
come  down  wiih  a  run.  The  fall,  however, 
can  never  be  much,  although  somewhat 
awkward  to  the  stranger  with  so  large  a 
crowd  of  lookers  on.  The  donkey  boys, 
generally  about  half-grown,  are  the  keenest 
little  gamins  I  ever  saw,  and  for  antic 
drollery  have  no  equals.  One  steps  up  to 
me,  pulls  his  forelock  with  one  hand  aud 
gives  a  corresponding  kick  behind,  which 
accidentally  hits  another  boy  in  the  region 
of  the  stomach,  aud  with  a  grin  of  humor  on 
his  dirty  face  says:  "Take  ride,  sab.? 
^line  splendid  donkey.    Name  Prince"— then 


221 


eatching  an  English  word  I  uttered,he  quick- 
ly acids,  "  of  Wales.  Prince  of  Wales,  sab"— 
if  I  had  uttered  a  French  word  the  name 
would  have  been  "Prince  Napoleon."  Oth- 
ers behind  him  taking  the  cue  call  out, 
"Mine  Billy  Button," '-Tom  Jones,"  "Wa- 
terloo," "Duke  Wellington^'  etc.  But  one 
bright-eyed  little  urchin  (was  he  so  much 
brighter  than  the  rest?)  calls  out  "Mine 
Berry  good  Jackass  Yankee  Doodle"  "Gen- 
eral Grant."  That  last  shot  told,  and  I  fol- 
lowedthe  boy  to  take  my  first  ride  on  the 
"  donk  "  with  so  illustrious  a  name. 

Before  I  had  been  long  in  Cairo  I  dis- 
covered that  it  would  be  a  matter  of  econo- 
my as  well  as  comfort  to  invest  in  a  fez.  My 
friends  at  home  will  understand  that  to  wear 
a  fez  in  the  East  does  not  necessarily  make 
one  a  Turk]  but  it  will  save  by  about  one- 
half  what  you  have  to  pay  in  the  bazaars,  as 
it  implies  that  you  are  not  a  stranger  to  be 
taken  in.  English  travelers  are  everywhere 
the  least  inclined  to  adopt  the  costume  or 
language  of  a  foreign  country,  and 
are  made  to  pay  accordingly.  The  French 
and  Italians  have  that  happy  facility 
of  identifying  themselves  with  the  people 
wherever  they  may  be,  which  in  the  east 
has  very  much  increased  their  popularity  and 
influence.  Here  the  nationality  of  a  stove- 
pipe hat  is  recognized  on  sight.  In  order  to 
see  and  understand  the  peculiar  customs  and 
life  of  a  strange  people  one  should  drop  that 
haughty  air  of  disdain  and  superiority,  and 
so  far  as  is  consistent  with  propriety  and 
comfort,  mix  with  the  people  in  a  dress  that 
will  not  attract  the  special  attention  of  every- 
one he  meets. 

The  bazaars  of  Cairo  are  only  surpassed  by 
those  of  Damascus  and  Constantinople  in  the 
extent,  richness  and  variety  of  the  thousand- 
and-one  articles  of  oriental  manufacture: 
and  can  best  be  seen  on  foot  and  donkey. 
The  streets  are  so  narrow  and  crooked  that 
the  older  part  of  the  city  resembles  a  huge 
honey-comb.  The  upper  stories  project  over 
the  one  next  below,  and  the  front 
is  usually  of  lattice  work,  which  enables 
the  bright-eyed  damsels  to  watch  all 
that  passes  in  the  street  without  being  seen 
themselves.  There  are  no  sidewalks  or 
pavement,  but  the  streets  are  cool  and  moist, 
the  high  projecting  buildings  shutting  out 
the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  in  many  places 
canvas  or  boards  completely  roof  in  the  nar- 
row space  at  the  top  and  form  an  arcado. 
Troops  of  hungry  dogs  do  duty  as  scavengers 
and  keep  the   streets  in   tolerable    sanitary 


222 

condition.  The  only  sprinkling  machine 
known  here  is  the  same  generally  used  in 
India— a  water-carrier  with  a  goat-skin  slung 
across  his  shoulders. 

My  donkey  boy  followed  up  the  "  Gen- 
eral," making  his  presence  known  by  fre- 
quent whacks  over  the  flanks  of  the  poor 
beast,  and  emphasising  them  with  epithets 
rather  rough  and  emphatic,  than  compli- 
mentary to  his  pedigree.  The  "  donk  "  from 
instinct  or  long  experience  seemed  to  know 
when  the         blow        was        coming, 

and  would  make  a  sudden  spurt 
to  avoid  it,  which  threatened 
the  rider  with  being  dropped  off  behind.  The 
bazaars  swarm  with  people.  Men  and 
women,  donkeys,  camels  and  oxen  bearing 
heavy  loads,  are  inextricably  mingled,  every 
one  in  the  way  of  others,  with  no  rule  of 
turning  out  to  the  right  or  the  left,  all  shout- 
ing, screaming,  pulling  and  whacking  the 
beasts,  with  most  ludicrous  appeals  to  the 
Prophet.  It  now  requires  a  sharp  lookout, 
not  so  much  for  fear  of  running  over  some 
one— for  the  foot  passengers  have  a  miracu- 
lous way  of  escaping  danger — as  to  escape 
coming  to  grief  by  being  wedged  in  between 
a  camel  laden  with  stone  or  wood,  and  the 
projecting  panniers  of  a  mule  filled  with 
vegetables  or  boxes  of  merchandise.  Re- 
gardless of  the  hubbub  and  confusion  of  the 
street,  you  can  see  the  turbanned  merchant 
sitting  cross-legged  on  a  mat  in  front  of  his 
little  seven  by  nine  shop,  smoking  his 
chibouk  and  sipping  his  coffee  with  true 
Mussel  man  coolness  and  gravity.  Turning 
into  a  by-street  I  slipped  off  the 
"General,"  and  leaving  him  in  charge  of 
the  boy,  I  found  a  standing  place  on  the  cor- 
ner to  watch  the  passers  by.  As  I  wore  the 
fez  I  attracted  no  special  notice  and  a  grim 
oid  Turk  made  room  for  me  on  the  board  in 
front  of  his  shop.  Here  comes  a  woman  out 
shopping,  an  occupation  of  which  the  fair 
sex  are  as  fond  of  in  Cairo  as  in  Xew  York, 
followed  by  a  eunuch,  black  as  Erebus,  with 
an  armful  of  parcels.  She  may  be  ''the  light 
of  the  harem,"  or  her  grand-iiiothcr,  for  all 
I  can  tell,  for  she  is  wrapped  in  the  univer- 
sal white  cottou  winding  sheet,  and  her  face 
is  hidden  behind  a  brown  figured  gauze  veil. 
As  she  does  not  vouchsafe  to  shoot  "  an  eye- 
lash arrow  from  an  eyebrow  bow  "  in  this  di- 
rection, I  presume  she  is  old  and  ugly.  Next 
comes  the  very  personification  of  the 
"  Father  of  the  Faithful,"  with  long  white 
beard,  a  massive  wrinkled  face,  and  oriental 
dress,  identical  with  that  worn  by  the    old 


C.7J 


1 

^^r 

BTRiET  SCENE   IN    CAIKO 


223 


patriarch.  II"  rides  an  easy  going  mule  and 
seems  absorbed  in  holy  meditation.  But  at 
the  intersection  of  a  narrow  side 
street,  he  comes  in  contact  with  a 
mettled  Aral),  ridden  uy  a  young  fellow 
at  a  sharp  canter,  and  over  goes  old  Abra- 
ham sprawling  in  the  dust.  This  occurrence 
s  not  so  unusual  as  to  cause  any  excitement, 
and  it  is  only  the  stranger  who  laughs  at 
the  catastrophe.  He  picks  himself  up,  re- 
mounts his  mule  more  astonished,  per- 
haps, than  his  rider,  and  jogs  on  again,  as  if 
nothing  had  happened.  Near  by  is  a  barber 
shop  where,  if  I  understood  Arabic,  I  could 
hear  the  latest  Caireen  scandal,  and  in  the 
cafe  over  the  way  a  story-teller  is  surrounded 
by  a  crowd  of  eager  listeners,  as  in  the  times 
of  the  Caliphs  and  the  Arabian  nights.  For 
half  an  hour  I  watched  the  passing  throng, 
and  long  for  the  pencil  of  a  Hogarth  or  a 
Nast  to  fix  on  paper  the  comical  scenes. 

Then  with   "Billy  Boy"   and  the  "Gen- 
eral," I  take  a  quieter   route  toward    the 
Citadel,  which  is  located  on  a  high  bluff 
overlooking  the  whole  city  and  its  environs. 
The  glistening  domes  and  minarets  of  the 
four  hundred  mosques  of  which  Cairo  boasts 
are  at  our  feet;  to  the  east  are  seen  the  ob- 
elisk of  Heliopolis  and  the  tombs  of  the  Mame- 
lukes; on  the  west  and  south  are  the  ruins 
of     old      Cairo,      the     grand     acqueduct, 
the  island    and  groves    of    Rhoda;    while 
farther  on  across  the  Xile  are  the  pyramids 
of  Ghizah  and  Sakharra,  and  beyond    these 
the  great   Lybian   desert.     Close  by   is  the 
famous  "Mamelukes'  leap,"  where  fifty  years 
ago  that  bloody  old  tyrant,   Mahomet  AH 
having  enticed  these  unruly  chiefs  into  the 
citadel,  shut  the  gates  and  slaughtered    them 
all  but  one,  Emii  Bey,  who  dashed  his  horse 
ever  the  low  parapet,  and  down  the  face  of 
the  wall,  forty  feet,   escaping  with  his  life, 
although  his  horse  was  killed.     As  I  looked 
over  the  wall  down  the  steep  precipice,  the 
feat  seemed  a  most  daring  one,   and  the  es- 
cape almost  miraculous.     The  tombs  of  the 
Mamelukes     are     magnificent   monuments 
of    these    descendants    of  I  limn    Circassian 
girls,  torn  from   their  mountain  homes  by 
ruthless  slave-dealers.    But   their  sons  lived 
to  rule  with  iron  hand  the  offspring  of  those 
who  wrought  their  mothers'  shame,   and  a* 
bold  warriors  twice  to  hurl  back  the  Tartars 
from  Europe  under  the  tierce  Tamerlane. 

in  the  center  of  the  citadel  is  the  mosque 
of  Mohamet  Ali,  the  finest  in  Egypt,  and 
second  only  to  that  of  St.  Sophia  at  Constan- 
tinople,   At  the  entrance  an  old  priest  takes 


224 


me  in  charge  and  points  to  my  boots,  which 
f  understand  to  mean,  "  Put  oft*  thy  shoes 
from  oft' thy  feet  for  the  place  whereon  thou 
standest  is  holy  ground."  1  give  him  a  franc. 
and  he  brings  a  pair  of  large,  loose  slippers 
which  he  ties  on  over  my  boots.  Shade  ot 
the  prophet!  how  degenerate  have  we  be- 
come in  these  hitter  days!  An  unbelieving 
dog  of  a  Frank  enters  the  holy  precincts 
with  his  boots  on.  A  circular  marble  col- 
lonade  encloses  the  large  courtyard  into 
which  we  first  came.  In  the  center  is  a 
fountain  of  marble,  elegently  carved,  where 
the  faithful,  having  left  their  slippers  out- 
ride, wash  their  feet  before  entering  the 
sacred  mosque  to  perform  their  devotions. 

Standing  beneath  the  grand  dome,  which 
is  of  beautifully-stained  glass,  the  walls  and 
pillars  of  variegated  marble,  with  hundreds 
of  lamps  and  chandeliers  of  fine  crystal  over- 
head, the  eftect  was  most  impressive.  A 
<;dim  religious  light/'  in  strong  contrast 
with  the  noonday  glare  without,  pervaded 
the  interior.  The  marble  floor  was  covered 
with  Persian  carpets,  on  which  a  crowd  of 
worshippers  were  kneeling,  all  facing  toward 
Mecca,  and  muttering  prayers,  while  at  reg- 
ular intervals  they  reverently  bumped  their 
foreheads  on  the  ground.  Some  of  them 
glanced  scowlingly  at  me,  but  I  knew  the 
old  priest,  in  view  of  the  expected  bak- 
sheesh, would  not  let  me  come  to  grief. 
In  one  corner,  protected  by  a  screen  of 
uilt  lattice  work,  was  the  tomb  of  the 
builder  of  the  mosque,  Mohamet  Ah.  In  the 
midst  of  all  this  magnificence,  where  mar- 
ble and  gold,  crystal  and  precious  stones  had 
been  lavished  without  stint,  I  was  surprised 
at  hearing  the  twittering  of  hundreds  of 
>parrows  that  seemed  quite  at  home  in  the 
cool  and  quiet  interior  of  the  mosque.  They 
were  flying  all  around  under  the  dome,  and 
their  chirping  could  be  heard  above  the 
murmuring  of  the  faithful  kneeling  on  the 
floor  below.  How  much  more  acceptable  to 
the  Almighty  were  their  voices  of  praise 
than  the  mummery  of  the  ignorant  and 
superstitious  crowd  beneath. 

This  mosque,  upon  which  immense  sums 
of  money  have  been  spent,  with  its  stained 
glass  and  somewhat  gaudy  decorations,  bears 
little  resemblance  to  those  beautiful  tem- 
ples erected  by  the  Moslem  conquerors 
of  India.  There  the  lightness  and  ele- 
gance of  Saracenic  architecture  have  united 
with  most  wonderful  >kill  in  carving  the 
pure  white  marble;  and  the  "Pearl 
Mosques"  of  Agra  and  Delhi  seem  infin- 
itely  superior  in  beauty   and  simplicity  to 


225 

this  tawdry  specimen  *of  the  Mahomedan 
architecture  of  the  present  ago. 

During  our  ten  days' stay  in  Cairo  we  vis- 
ited many  places  and  objects  of  interest. 
One  tine  cool  morning  we  crossed  in  a  boal 
to  the  island  of  Khoda,  where  the  Pasha  h:i- 
a  palace  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  garden, 
fragrant  with  orange  blossoms.  Here,  ac- 
cording to  tradition  the  infant  Moses  was 
launched  among  the  bulrushes  and  found  by 
Pharaoh's  daughter.  While  musing  on  the 
strange  scenes  which  this  old  river  had  wit- 
nessed, the  lines  of  Dr.  Holmes  occurred  to 
me,  in  which  he  comically  inquires  the 
whereabouts  of  the  good,  far-gone  days  of 
childhood,  with  their  brightness  and  fresh- 
ness: 

"  Where,  oh,  where  are  life's  lilies  and  roses, 
Bathed  in  the  golden  dawn's  smile? 

Dead  as  the  bulrushes  'round  little  Moses, 
On  the  old  banks  of  the  Nile." 

Here  on  the  Island  of  Khoda  is  the  famed 
Xilometer,  a  slender  stone  pillar  in  the  cen- 
ter of  a  well,  graduated  with  cubits— one  of 
the  most  ancient  relics  of  a  remote  age. 
Herodotus  mentions  that  the  measurement 
of  the  river's  rise  and  fall,  thereby  to  calcu- 
late the  probable  extent  of  the  harvest,  was 
a  part  of  the  priestcraft  of  the  Pharaohs. 

Returning  to  the  main  shore  we  visited 
Boulac,  a  portion  of  the  city  which  contains 
an  immense  government  foundry  and  a  mu- 
seum of  Egyptian  antiquities.  In  this 
neighborhood  wre  had  been  told  were  the 
granaries  of  Joseph — the  first  great  specu- 
lator in  wheat  of  whom  we  have  any  record 
—but  we  were  unable  to  find  them,  and  1 
am  inclined  to  think  them  a  mith. 

We  also  visited  the  Shoobra  gardens  and 
palace,  having  first  obtained  a  government 
order  through  our  Consul.  The  drive  to 
this  famous  place  is  through  a  splendid  ave- 
nue four  miles  long,  shaded  by  very  large  and 
old  sycamore  trees.  Here  in  the  center  of  a 
beautiful  garden  was  the  favorite  palace  of  old 
Mohamet  Ali.  Sparkling  fountains,  marble 
kiosks,  elegant  furniture,  divans  embroid- 
ered with  gold  and  covered  with  the  rich- 
est brocade,  decorations  of  finest  alabaster, 
nothing  had  been  spared  to  make 
this  an  earthly  paradise.  The  pres- 
ent Viceroy  rarely  comes  here,  but 
keeps  up  the  place  in  honor  of  his  grand- 
father, whose  memory  is  held  in  great  re- 
spect. Mohamet  Ali,  whose  portraits  hang 
on  the  walls  and  appear  In  several  places 
among  the  frescoes,  is  represented  as  a  griz- 
zly old  Turk,  with  an  immense  white  beard, 
In  Oriental  turban  and  costume,  surrounded 


226 


by  the  ladies  of  bis  harem,  as  beautiful  as  th<- 
houris  of  a  Mohametau's  paradise.  He  was 
a  crafty  and  ambitious,  but  a  daring  and 
energetic  ruler.  He  massacred  the  Mame- 
lukes in  cold  blood  because  they  stood  in  the 
way  of  his  ambitious  schemes.  Having 
made  himself  master  of  Egypt  and  Syria,  he 
would  have  won  Constantinople  and  per- 
haps have  established  there  a  strong  govern- 
ment had  not  the  English  interfered  to  gave 
the  present  effete  dynasty. 

It  is  a  pleasant  drive  of  six  miles  from 
Cairo  to  Heliopolis,  the  "  City  of  the  Sun." 
In  old  times,  when  Joseph  ruled  in  Egypt, 
this  was  a  place  of  much  importance.  \\ 
was  called  "  On,"  and  here  Joseph  lived  and 
look  the  priest's  daughter  for  a  wife.  All 
that  now  remains  of  the  ancient  city  is  a 
single  red  granite  obelisk  seventy  feet  high, 
covered  with  hieroglyphics.  It  waa  erected 
four  thousand  years  ago,  and  successive  in- 
undations of  the  Xile  have  raised  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground  twenty-live  feet  above  it> 
base— perhaps  even  much  more,  as  it  waa 
usual  to  place  these  structures  on  a  high 
mound.  Near  the  site  of  this  ancient  city  is 
the  old  Sycamore  tree  under  whose  branches, 
many  centuries  afterward,  Joseph  and  Mar}  . 
as  they  journeyed  to  Egypt  with  their  little 
boy,sat  down  and  drank  from  a  cool  spring, 
the  water  of  which  instantly  changed  from 
salt  and  bitter  to  the  pure  sweet  fountain 
which  it  remains  to  this  day.  Of  course  this 
is  perfectly  authentic.  To  doubt  or  ques- 
tion the  genuineness  of  the  old  world's  tradi- 
tions and  relics,  would  not  only  deprive  these 
places  of  half  their  interest,  but  dispel  those 
pleasant  illusions  so  attractive  to  the  visitor. 

In  the  centre  of  Old  Cairo,  is  a  mosque 
and  college  of  dancing  dervishes  ov/akecrs, 
and  every  Friday,  they  hold  a  seance.  We 
reached  the  place  after  threading  a  labaiynth 
of  crooked  streets,  and  were  ushered  into  a 
room  in  a  building  adjoining  the  mosque, 
where  several  other  parties  of  foreigners 
were  assembled.  "We  were  offered  seats  on 
the  divan  extending  round  the  room,  and  a 
servant  brought  tiny  cups  of  coffee 
of  tine  flavor  but  thick  and  BWeel 
;i-  Bjrup.  Then  came  chibouks  and 
and  cigarettes  for  the  ladies.  After  a  hall 
hour's  delay  we  were  shown  into  the  mosque, 
Where  the  performance  came  off.  A  circular 
space  about  forty  feet  in  diameter  and 
smoothly  floored  was  enclosed  in  a  low  rail- 
ing, outside  which  were  the  spectator-  una 
in  a  small  gallery  Beats  were  provided  for  us 
as  specially  invited  guests.     In  the  gallery 


opposite  was  the  orchestra,  consisting  of 
eight  instruments  like  clarionets,  and  four 
small  drums.  Twelve  dervishes  then  marched 
into  the  arena  and  ranged  themselves  around 
the  inner  space,  after  bowing  to  each  other 
and  to  their  superior  or  head  priest,  who 
wore  a  green  robe  and  turban,  indicating 
that  he  had  made  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca. 
All  but  the  head  fakeer  wore  tall,  steeple- 
shaped  felt  hats,  without  any  brim,  short 
jackets  and  long  white  robes  tied  about  the 
waist.  Their  faces  looked  pale  and  emaciated 
with  fasting.  One  of  them  went  into  the 
musicians'  gallery  and  read  from  the  Koran 
for  about  twenty  minutes  in  a  drawling, 
sing-song  tone,  while  his  brethren  knell; 
on  the  floor  below,  frequently  bowing 
their  heads  to  the  ground.  The  music 
then  struck  up  and  the  performers  rose  from 
their  knees  and  marched  several  times  round 
the  arena.  The  headdevrish,  who  seemed  to 
be  held  in  special  reverence,  stood  on  a  mat 
by  himself,  and  each  one  in  passing  him 
stopped  to  make  a  low  salaam,  and  then 
turned  round  and  salaamed  the  one  next  be- 
hind. Then  the  music  became  gradually 
more  lively,  and  one  after  another  threw  up 
their  hands  and  began  to  whirl.  Faster  and 
faster  they  whirled,  their  arms  now  ex- 
tended at  right  angles,  and  with  eyes  closed 
in  a  sort  of  dreamy  ecstacy,  they  spun  round 
like  tops,  their  gowns  spreading  out  with 
the  rotarv  motion  to  the  size  of  most  ex- 
travagant crinoline.  I  timed  them  with  my 
watch  and  found  that  seventy  times  a  min- 
ute was  the  maximum  speed.  They  kept 
up  this  performance  for  about  an  hour  with 
occasional  intervals  of  rest,  when  they  would 
suddenly  stop,  fold  their  arms  over  their 
breasts,  and  march  sltfwly  around  the  arena, 
apparently  made  no  more  dizzy  by  their 
gyrations  than  the  ball-room  belle  who  ha> 
been  "taking  a  turn''  to  the  music  of 
Strauss.  At  last  the  orchestra  ceased  play- 
ing and  the  seance  was  ended.  As  the  per- 
formers, having  put  on  their  outside  robes, 
quietly  left  the  building,  the  true  believers 
bowed  very  low  as  they  made  room  for  them 
to  pass.  They  evidently  considered  them 
very  holy  men  who  would  whirl  themselves 
into  very  high  seats/4o   ^^^^  ^ 

This  perfomance  comes  oil'  every  week 
and  crowds  of  Mohaniedens,  as  well  as  near- 
ly all  the  foreign  visitors  in  Cairo,  go  to  see 
it.  It  is  a  free  exhibition— no  tickets  being 
taken  at  the  door— nor  is  any  contribution 
box  passed  round.  The  dervishes  are  all 
Turks,  and   their   complexion,   pale    from 


223 

fasting  and  abstinence,  is  bo  much  lighter 
than  that  of  the  native  Egyptian*,  that  they 
teem  to  us  as  white  as  European-.  This  cu- 
et  i-  of  modern  origin,  and  Mohamet 
Ali  brought  them  from  Constantinople  to 
Cairo,  about  fifty  year-  ago.  Nothing  in 
civilized  lands  resembles  their  performance-. 
as  much  at  the  whirling  of  the  Shakers. 

our  vj-it  to  Memphis  and  the  pyramid!  at 
Ghizah  and  Sakara  will  he  described  in  my 
next  letter.  W.  P.  F. 


N UMBER  THIRT r-T HE  E  E 

El  Kaherah— The  Nile— Ancient  Knowl- 
edge of  the  Egyptians— Lost  Arts- 
Visit  to  Memphis  and  Sakharra— An 
Early  Start— Sand  Storm  in  the  Des- 
ert—The City  of  the  Pharaohs— Tem- 
ple of  Apis— Cemetery  of  the  Sacred 
Bulls— Lunch  Among  the  "  Old  Mas- 
ters"—An  "Antique"  Factory—  Ty- 
phoons at  Sea  and  Sirroccos  on  Land- 
Pyramids  of  Ghizah— Egyptian  Sol- 
diers—Fertility of  the  Soil  — Old 
Cheops— Up  "We  G-o— View  From  the 
Summit— The  King's    Chamber— The 

Sphynx, 

Cairo,  September  4. 

It  is  written  that  "  El  Kaherah"  "which 
the  Europeans  have  metamorphosed  into 
Cairo,  was  founded  by  a  general  appointed  by 
Ali,  the  husband  ot  Mahomet's  fair  daughter 
Fatima;  but  the  present  city  was  not  built 
until  some  centuries  later,  and  for  Egypt  is 
quite  a  mushroom  of  a  town  only  some  nine 
hundred  years  old.  But  it  was  built  on  the 
ruins  of  much  older  cities,  near  the  site  of 
the  earliest  temple-palaces  of  the  Pharaohs ; 
and,  after  Constantnople,  is  the  oldest  Ma- 
hometan city  in  the  world. 

The  Nile,  the  most  mysterious  of  all 
rivers,  flows  on  the  same  from  age  to 
age,  its  greasy,  muddy,  turbid  waters  the 
source  of  fruitfulness  in  a  land  that  without 
them  would  speedily  become  a  desert.  Un- 
changed they  have  rolled  on  since  the  touch- 
ing story  of  Joseph  and  his  brethren  was  en- 
acted on  their  banks,  since  Pharaoh's  daugh- 
ter bathed  in  the  turbid  stream,  since  the 
Israelites  slaved  along  the  shores,  and  many- 
centuries  later  they  bore  the  gorgeous  gal- 
leys of  the  voluptuous  Cleopatra. 

Egypt  was  for  ages  the  storehouse  of 
knowledge,  and  the  artpf  magic  is  still 
studied  in  the  land,  whei»oT  old  the  potent- 
ates, who  united  the  Kingship  and  Priest- 
hood in  one  person,  called  in  its  aid  in  hum- 
bugging the  masses  of  the  people.  >Ve  arc 
taught  that  the  early  race  of  men  originally 
was  endowed  with  miraculous  powers,  the 
knowledge  of  which  lingered  lor  cen- 
turies among  the  Chaldeans.  They 
were  skilled,perhaps,  in  those  wondrous  sci- 
ences, such  as  mesmeri>ni  and  clairvoyance. 


230 

of  winch  the  world  is  just  now  beginning  to 
regain  the  knowledge.  If  these  are  among 
the  "lost  arts,"  it  is  not  surprising  that  they 

represented  manic  to  the  people  in  that  early 
age,  for  even  now.  with  all  the  science  and 
skill  of  modern  civilization,  they  are  almost 
a  sealed  hook.  We  read  in  thG  Bible  that 
Moses  was  skilled  in  all  the  knowledge  of 
the  Egyptians.  AVI) at  was  his  knowdedge, 
known  only  to  the  wily  priesthood  to  which 
all  the  Pharaohs  belonged,  and  into  which 
the  adopted  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter  was 
doubtless  initiated!''  The  story  of  Moses 
leading  God's  chosen  people  through  the 
desert  toward  the  promised  land  discloses 
some  of  his  skill  in  controlling  the  masses, 
who  were  probably  quite  as  ignorant  as  the 
Egyptians  among  whom  they  had  delved  as 
slaves. 

Having  exhausted  the  sights  of  Cairo,  ex- 
cept the  bazaars,  which  one  never  tires  of 
visiting,  we  arranged  for  a  trip  to  Memphis 
and  the  pyramids  of  Sakharra.  To  accom- 
plish this  in  one  day  required  an  early  start, 
and  soon  after  the  sun  was  up  we  found  our- 
selves on  the  banks  of  the  Nile  looking  for 
transportation  across  its  rapid,  muddy  cur- 
rent. The  floating  bridge  had  been  render- 
ed impassible  by  some  accident,  and  we 
could  only  cross  by  boat.  The  struggli 
among  the  rival  boatmen  as  to  who  should 
take  us  over  was  exciting.  Being  only  pas- 
sengers, niy  friend  and  I  stepped  back  out 
of  the  crowd  of  shouting,  screaming,  scolding 
Arabs  and  let  them  settle  the  matter,  in  their 
own  way.  Any  attempt  to  touch  us 
or  our  effects  was  instantly  resented  with 
a  rap  from  our  rattans,  for  although 
we  did  not  understand  Arabic,  the  logic  of 
a  stick  is  well  understood  everywhere  in  the 
Bast.  The  shaking  of  lists  and  gesticula- 
tions were  numerous,  but  we  knew  they 
were  "mere  sound  and  fury  signifying 
nothing."  At  last  the  din  and  hubbub 
ceased,  and  avc  stepped  quietly  into  the  boat 
of  the  victorious  party,  and  were  quickly 
>et  across  the  river.  At  the  railway  station 
on  the  west  side  we  took  the  train  to  Buder- 
shain,  twelve  miles  up  the  river.  There 
were  crowds  of  filthy  Arabs  swarming  over 
the  third-class  cars,  and  so  much  delay  in 
starting  on  account  of  the  broken  bridge 
1  hat  we  did  not  arrive  thereuntil  ten  o'clock. 
We  hired  donkeys  at  the  station  to  go  to  the 
site  of  Memphis,  five  miles  distant.  IV- 
I'ore  starting  "\ve  noticed  that  the 
sun  was  clouded  in,  and  to  me  it 
!  that   a  rain   storm  was  coming  Up. 


« 


\ 


L 


1*4 


■ 


231 


But  it  very  rarely  rains  in  Egypt,  and  to  one 
familiar  with  the  climate  the  signs  indicated 
something  infinitely  worse— a  sand  storm. 
We  had  not  reached  a  mile  from  the  station 
when  it  came  down  upon  us  with  great  fury. 
The  force  of  the  wind  was  terrific,  and  the 
flying  sand  seemed  to  cut  the  skin  like  a 
knife.  In  a  minute  we  were  blinded  in 
spite  of  the  green  goggles  we  wore,  and  the 
sand  penetrated  eyes,  nose,  ears  and  mouth 
We  were  in  a  desert  of  sand,  and  the  air  was 
so  full  of  the  fine  cloud  that  we  could  not  see 
ten  feet  before  us.  We  turned  our  backs  to 
the  gale,  and  the  howling  of  the  wind  and 
the  braying  of  the  donkeys  made  such  music 
as  I  never  heard  before  and  hope  never  to 
hear  again.  I  had  read  of  caravans  being- 
overwhelmed  and  buried  in  the  sands,  but 
could  never  before  realize  the  horr6rs  of 
such  a  catastrophe.  I  took  the  puggree  off 
my  hat  and  tied  it  over  my  face  for  a  veil, 
and  holding  on  to  our  "donks"  for  dear 
life  we  took  refuge  under  the  lee  of  a  sand 
hill  until  the  gust  had  passed  over.  It 
lasted  about  twenty  minutes,  and  left  the 
sand  drifted  in  places  like  snow.  As  soon  as 
the  storm  lulled  we  pushed  forward  to  a  col- 
lection of  mud  huts  wrhere  once  stood  the 
great  city  of  Memphis,  the  proud  capital  of 
ancient  Egypt — the  city  from  which  Pha- 
raoh is  supposed  to  have  led  forth  the  chiv- 
alry of  the  land  in  pursuit  of  the  hosts  of 
Israel  on  their  march  for  freedom.  A  beau- 
tiful forest  of  palms  covers  a  portion  of  the 
site,  a  noble  burial  place  even  for  such  a 
city,  its  circumference,  according  to  an- 
cient writers,  was  over  seventeen  miles, 
and  the  ruins  of  its  famous  temples 
are  now  covered  by  the  sand  of 
the  desert,  and  the  alluvial  deposits 
of  the  river.  Excavations  have  been  made 
in  various  places,  and  the  ground  was  Ut- 
tered with  broken  statues  of  granite  and 
marble.  One  colossal  figure  lies  prone  upon 
the  ground,  supposed  to  be  the  statue  of 
Sesostris.  The  expression  upon  the  upturned 
face  is  of  quiet,  benignant  repose;  or  of 
pensive  sorrow,  in  harmony  with  the  deso- 
late aspect  of  the  whole  place.  It  represents 
a  once  powerful  king  and  ruler  prostrate 
amid  the  ruins  of  his  capital.  A  crowd  of 
filthy  Arabs  surrounded  us,  screaming  for 
baksheeshyund  they  scrambled  and  quarreled 
for  the  few  copper  coins  we  threw  them 
like  a  pack  of  half-starved  dogs. 

After  a  short  rest  wTe  again  started  over 
the  plain  for  the  pyramids  of  Sakharra,  four 
miles  distant,  but  before  reaching  them  we 
were    overtaken    by    another     sand-storm 


232 

fiercer,  if  possible,  than  the  first  Luckily 
it  came  from  behind,  and  we  fled  before 
the  blast  which  nearly  took  our  poor 
donkeys  off  their  feet.  These  pyramid-  are 
older  and  much  more  dilapidated  than  those 
vt'  Ghizah.  near  Cairo.  Xear  these  crum- 
bling mounds  are  the  Sarapeum,  or  "Temple 
of  Apis."  and  the  tombs  in  which  tLe  sacred 
bulls  are  buried.  These  have  lately  been 
discovered  aud  are  among  the  most  inl 
ing  monuments  of  Egypt.  An  enterprising 
Frenchman,  31.  Mariette,  has  spent  two 
years  and  a  large  sum  of  money  in  bringing 
to  light  these  wonderful  relics  of  antiquity. 
We  took  refuge  from  the  storm  in  a  small 
building  erected  for  his  residence  while 
superintending  these  excavations,  where  we 
found  an  old  Sheik  who  claimed  authority 
over  this  part  of  the  desert— which  simply 
means  the  privilege  of  levying  blackmail  on 
any  visitor.  We  paid  the  fee,  and  with  a 
young  Arab  for  a  guide  commenced  our 
explorations.  The  surface  of  the  country  for 
miles  in  every  direction  is  a  desert,  and 
the  sand-drift  has  covered  many  feet  deep 
these  ancient  remains.  It  is  probable  that 
once  this  barren  waste  was  as  fertile  as  any 
part  of  the  Xile  valley,  but  a  change  in  the 
bed  of  the  river,  and  the  gradual  encroach- 
ment of  the  de-ert  has  made  it  what  it 
now  is. 

We  descend  by  a  sloping  path  to  the  en- 
trance, and  lighting  our  candles  find  our- 
selves in  a  long  rock-hewn  gallery,  which 
formed  the  cemetery  for  the  bulls  that  were 
worshipped  in  the  adjoining  temple  of  Apis. 
Opening  from  this  gallery  like  side  chapels 
are  twenty-four  recesses  cut  out  of  the  lime- 
stone rock,  and  in  each  of  these  an  im- 
mense Sarcophagus,  formed  from  a  single 
piece  of  black  porphyry.  They  are  of  uniform 
shape  and  size,  about  sixteen  feet  long,  eight 
feet  wide,  and  about  nine  feet  in  height. 
The  outside  is  covered  with  hieroglyphics, 
with  ii.}^u<  as  clean-cut  and  fresh 
as  if  ju*t  finished.  On  two  or 
three  the  figures  are  only  traced, 
a-  if  th_-  work  had  been  abruptly  stopped, 
re  polished  outside  and  iv  smooth  as 
did  the  heavy  lids  of  most  of  them 
have  been  pushed  off  a  few  feet  so  that  we 
can  see  the  interior.  They  are  now  all 
empty,  the  sacred  bulls  they  once  contained 
-  long  ago  crumbled  to  dust.  With  the 
-  i  nice  of  my  companions  I  let  myselt 
down  into  one  and  examined  the  interior. 
The  space  inside  was  large  enough  to  contain 
a  mammoth  ox,  the  surface  was  beautilully 
polished,  and  the  side,  when   aubi.    by  the 


233 

hand,  gave  out  a  clear,  bell-like  sound.  It 
seemed  strange  and  almost  ludicrous  thus  to 
stand,  candle  in  hand,  within  the  stone  coffin 
of  a  sacred  bull!  "  These  be  thy  gods, 
O  Egypt ! "  Strange  that  a  people  so  advanced 
in  the  arts  and  sciences,  so  distinguished  for 
wisdom,  who  have  left  behind  ruins  that  are 
still  the  admiration  of  the  world,  should  have 
religious  ideas  so  low  as  to  worship  four- 
footed  beasts,  birds  and  creeping  reptiles, 
"What  an  immense  amount  of  money,  time 
and  labor  have  been  expended  to  excavate 
these  long  galleries,  to  bring  these  huge 
blocks  of  porphyry  many  hundred  miles,  to 
carve  and  polish  them  with  almost  miracu- 
lous skill,  and  then  to  tit  each  one  in  a  niche 
to  become  the  coffin  of  v.— bull.  And  this 
was  done,  too,  by  a  people  without  labor- 
saving  machinery,  who  knew  nothing  of  the 
use  of  iron  tools— for  I  believe  no  iron  in- 
strument of  any  kind  has  been  found  in 
Egypt.  The  tools  they  used  were  of  copper, 
but  hard  and  pliant  as  steel.  How  to  make 
it  so  is  one  of  the  "lost  arts,"  which  all  the 
machinery  and  boasted  knowledge  of  Birm- 
ingham or  Sheffield  cannot  now  accomplish. 

We  afterwards  visited  the  temple  near  by 
and  wandered  through  several  rooms  which 
have  hut  lately  been  recovered  from  the 
sand.  They  are  lined  writh  white  marble 
or  cement,  and  upon  the  walls  and  ceilings 
are  paintings  as  bright  in  colors  and  fresh- 
looking  as  if  executed  only  yesterday. 

In  one  of  these  rooms,  seated  on  the  sand, 
and  surrounded  by  the  works  of  the  "  old 
masters  "  (probably  4,000  years  old),  we  took 
our  frugal  lunch,  and  drank  in  English  ale 
to  the  memory  of  the  quaint  old  fellows 
whose  pictures  stared  at  us  from  the  walls- 
then  tossed  the  bones  to  their  descendants, 
a  crowd  of  hungry  Bedouins,  who  eagerly 
picked  up  every  scrap. 

Outside  we  found  a  lot  of  Arabs  employed 
in  unrolling  mummies,  thousands  of  which 
are  buried  in  a  pit  near  the  temple.  Great 
piles  of  skulls,  crumbling  bones  and  scraps 
of  mummy  cloth  were  scattered  around. 
We  secured  here  some  genuine  relics  and 
antiques,  old  as  the  Pharaohs.  3iost  of  the 
so-called  antiques  sold  in  Cairo,  especially 
the  scarabei,  or  sacred  beetle 8,  are  made, 
as  I  am  told,  at  the  factory  of  an  enterpris- 
ing Yankee  or  Englishman  named  Smith,  in 
Assouan,  at  the  foot  of  the  first  cataract  of 
the  Nile. 

Having  spent  three  hours  at  Sakharra  we 
started  on  our  return.  Our  intention  had 
been  to  cross  the  desert  from  here  to  Ghizah, 
but  the  weather  made  such  an  expedition 


234 


dangerous,  if  not  impossible.  At  intervals 
all  day  the  fierce  sirrocco  would  break  on 
us,  and  we  caught  two  more  before  we  could 
reach  the  station  at  Budershain.  I  have  had 
a  little  experience  of  typhoons  at  sea,  and  I 
would  much  rather  face  the  cyclone  of  the 
Pacific  with  a  good  ship  under  me  than  the 
sirocco  of  the  Sahara  desert  when  sand  in- 
stead of  water  is  the  moving  element, 
mounted  on  a  miserable  little  half-starved 
donkey. 

The  great  pyramids  of  Ghizah  are  situated 
at  the  edge  of  the  desert  on  the  opposite  >idc 
of  the  river,  and  about  six  miles  distant 
from  Cairo.  To  see  the  sun  rise  from  the 
summit  of  Cheops  is  well  worth  the  effort 
required  to  ensure  an  early  start.  There  is 
a  fine,  smooth  carriage  road  all  the  way. 
Having  crossed  the  Nile  by  the  bridge  of 
boats,  we  drive  for  three  miles  through  a 
beautiful  avenue  of  acasia  trees,  past  a  large 
palace  of  the  Viceroy,  and  long  barracks 
around  which  soldiers  are  lounging— fat, 
saucy-looking  fellows,  who  look  better  fed 
and  clothed,  and  more  happy  than  the  mis- 
erable laborers  from  whom  they  are  con- 
scripted. In  former  tines,  to  save  a  son 
from  being  forced  into  the  Pasha's  army,  it 
was  not  an  unusual  thing  for  a  parent  to  put 
out  the  right  eye  of  his  child,  or  cut  off  the 
first  joint  of  the  forefinger  of  his  right  hand. 
/>ut  this  mutilation  was  stopped  when 
the  Pasha  formed  a  regiment  of  left- 
handed  men.  which  proved  quite  as 
efficient  as  the  rest  of  the  army — which 
is  not  saying  much.  The  last  three  miles  of 
the  road  is  on  a  dyke  or  embankment  which 
saves  it  from  overflow  by  the  river.  The 
date-palms  which  we  see  scattered  over  the 
plain  are  now  in  blossom,  and  produce  the 
finest  dates  in  the  world.  "We  meet  hun- 
dreds of  donkeys  and  camels  plodding  slowly 
along  towards  the  city,  bearing  immense 
loads  of  vegetables  and  fresh  cut  grass.  On 
either  side  of  the  road  are  fields  of  grain, 
maize,  clover  and  lentils,  growing  most 
luxuriantly  from  a  soil  so  rich  that  it  actually 
looks  greasy,  It  is  entirely  an  alluvial  de- 
posit from  the  Nile,  and  on  it  the  crops 
spring  up  very  swiftly,  having  a  peculiarly 
blight  green  appearance,  and  are  very  ten- 
der to  the  touch  from  their  rapid  growth. 
Two  crops  of  grain,  sometimes  three,  aud  of 
grass  and  vegetables  usually  four  crops  are 
taken  from  the  same  soil  every  year. 

For  a  long  time  the  pyramids  were  right 
before  us,and  so  deceptive  is  their  appearance 
under  the  cloudless  sky,  with  no  other  object 
upon  the  vast  plain  with  which  to  compare 


■■. -J> 


235 


them,  that  they  seemed  actually  to  grow 
smaller  as  we  approached.  We  drove  to  the 
very  foot  of  the  great  pyramid  of  Cheops, 
and  our  carriage  was  at  once  surrounded  by 
a  crowd  of  Arabs.  We  drove  them  all  away 
and  demanded  to  see  the  Sheik,  who  lives 
here  and  professes  to  control  these  wild 
children  of  the  desert.  We  told  him  to  se- 
lect for  each  of  us  two  good  men  from  the 
expectant  crowd,  and  commenced  at  once 
the  ascent.  Figures  can  convey  but  an  in- 
adequate idea  of  the  immensity  of  this  vast 
pile.  It  is  480  feet  high ;  higher  than  the 
tallest  spire  in  Europe;  200  feet  taller 
than  Trinity  Church  steeple.  Ttie  base  is 
764  feet  on  each  side,  and  it  covers  an  area 
of  twelve  acres.  The  Public  Square  in 
Cleveland,  including  the  streets  that  sur- 
round it,  is,  I  believe,  but  ten  acres.  To 
build  the  causeway  to  carry  the  stone  from 
the  Nile,  would  require  100,000  men  fo»  ten 
years,  and  to  build  the  monument,  360,000 
men  for  twenty  years.  The  difficulty  of 
climbing  the  pyramid  is  not  so  much 
from  the  steepness  of  the  ascent,  as  the 
great  size  of  the  blocks  of  stone  com- 
posing each  layer.  An  Arab  taking  hold 
of  each  hand  lifts  us  up  from  one  layer  to  the 
next,  and  it  is  a  succession  of  steps  about 
three  feet  high,  with  a  space  of  one  or  two 
feet  to  stand  upon.  When  about  a  third  of 
the  way  up  we  stopped  to  rest,  and  another 
Arab  popped  out  from  behind  a  stone  and 
urged  us  to  engage  his  services.  He  ex- 
plained by  pantomime  how  useful  he  could 
be  in  pushing  us  up  behind.  Boys  carrying 
small  earthern  bottles  of  water  followed  us 
up,  knowing  that  we  should  be  thirsty 
enough  to  give  them  a  few  piaster  for  a 
drink  before  we  reached  the  top.  Our  Arabs 
wore  no  clothing,  but  a  white  cotton  shirt, 
and  kept  up  a  constant  chattering  like  so 
many  black  birds.  To  spring  from  block  to 
block  and  pull  us  up  after  them  did  not  seem 
to  tire  them  in  the  least.  On  the  summit  is 
a  space  about  25  feet  square,  the  apex  as  well 
as  the  casing  of  the  pyramids  having  been 
removed  by  the  Caliphs  for  constructing 
mosques  and  palaces  at  Cairo.  We  reached 
the  top  just  in  time  to  see  the  sun  rise  above 
the  horizon  of  the  great  ocean  desert,  and 
spread  out  before  us  was  one  of  the  finest 
panoramas  in  the  world.  The  dryness  and 
purity  of  the  air  in  Egypt  enables  one  to 
see  objects  at  a  great  distance. 

We  could  see  the  Nile  winding  its  way 
through  a  carpet  of  verdure,  on  which  are 
many  scattered  villages— the  city  of  Cairo 
with  its  domes,  minarets  and  palaces  glitter- 


236 


ing  in  the  morning  sun— and  beyoxd  all,  the 
white  shining  sands  of  the  desert. 

The  Arabs  pointed  out  the  autograph  on 
stone  of  the  Ptinceof  Wales  (very  badly 
cut,)  and  offered  us  hammer  and  chisel,  but 
we  declined  the  cheap  immortality  of  en- 
rolling our  names  so  high  up  on  tablets  of 
stone,  along  with  those  of  Jones,  Smith  and 
Robinson  which  cover  nearly  every  inch  of 
the  space.  To  descend  was  more  difficult 
and  dangerous  than  to  climb  up,  for  it  re- 
quires steady  nerves  to  look  off  froin  such  a 
dizzy  height,  standing  upon  a  sht-lf  scarcely 
a  foot  in  width.  But  our  faithful  Arabs 
never  let  go  of  our  hands  for  a  moment  until 
we  reached  terra  *irma,  where  a  liberal 
backsheesh  made  them  dance  round  us  like  so 
many  wild  Indians.  "  Yankee  Doodle,  good, 
good,"  was  the  style  of  their  returning 
thanks.  This  title  seems  to  denote  high 
rank  in  Egypt,  and  is  used  as  an  especial 
compliment  to  all  Americans. 

Resting  on  the  huge  blocks  of  stone  on  the 
shady  side  we  took  our  lunch  and  indulged 
in  a  fragrant  chibouk,  before  entering  the 
long,  narrow,  dark  passages  that  lead  to  the 
heart  of  the  great  pyramid.  After  climbing 
several  inclines  and  sliding  down  others, 
with  barely  room  to  stand  upright,  we  stood 
in  the  king's  chamber,  where  our  tapers 
made  little  impression  on  darkness  so  in- 
tense that  it  could  almost  be  felt.  This 
apartment  is  lined  with  polished  granite, 
and  is  thirty-four  feet  long,  eighteen  broad, 
and  about  twenty  in  length.  In  the  centre 
stands  a  red  granite  Sarcophagus,  in  which 
King  Cheops  was  buried,  ages  before  the 
time  of  Moses.  The  air  here  was  so  stifling 
that  we  did  not  tarry  long,  and  were  glad  to 
escape  into  the  open  air  once  more.  The 
second  and  third  pyramids  are  somewhat 
less  in  size  than  that  of  Cheops ;  and  the  six 
others  comparatively  small.  In  front  of  the 
great  pyramid  and  facing  the  river  is  the 
Sphinx.  This  most  fantastic  animal  has 
ever  been  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  greatest 
wonders  of  Egypt.  A  colossal  female  head 
rises  above  the  sand,  attached  to  the  body 
of  a  lioness,  about  which  excavations  have 
been  made  so  as  to  show  its  form  hewn 
from  the  solid  rock.  The  features  have  the 
thick  lips  and  high  cheek  bones  of  the  Nubian 
which  was  the  type  of  beauty  to  the  ancient 
Egyptians.  The  circumference  of  the  head 
measures  over  one  hundred  feet. 
Time  and  ill-usage  have  made  sad  havoc 
with  the  monstrous  face,  but  there  is  a 
placid  beauty  about  its  features,  an  abstract- 
ed expression,  resembling  the  large  Budbist 


237 

idols  of  Japan  and  India.  The  conception 
is  a  grand  one,  and  well  calculated  to  inspire 
with  terror  the  weak  minds  of  its  worship- 
ers. 

As  we  ride  back  to  Cairo  we  turn  back  to 
gaze  upon  these  marvelous  structures,  and 
are  lost  in  amazement  at  the  immense 
amount  of  labor  expended  for  no  practical 
utility.  If  their  »ole  object  was  to  perpet- 
uate the  names  of  the  builders— Pharaohs, 
Kings  and  Priests— whatever  their  titles 
may  have  been,  how  futile  the  attempt  at 
immortality,  for  the  names  of  the  builders 
have  in  most  cases  passed  away. 
Proud   monuments  of    kings,   whose    very 

names 
Have  perished  from  the  records  of  the  past. 

W.   P.  F. 


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